Smashing outing for Manika, Sathiyan at UTT

Smashers cruise to a comfortable win over Warriors

June 16, 2018 10:36 pm | Updated 10:36 pm IST - PUNE

Stretching to conquer: Manika Batra of Dabang Smashers played her best when it mattered most against Sofia Polcanova of Warriors.

Stretching to conquer: Manika Batra of Dabang Smashers played her best when it mattered most against Sofia Polcanova of Warriors.

Golden girl Manika Batra and giant-killer G. Sathiyan showcased their readiness to take over the mantle of Indian table tennis from veteran A. Sharath Kamal at a packed Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex auditorium on the third night of the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis.

Thanks to Batra and Sathiyan Dabang Smashers cruised to a comfortable 14-7 win over fancied Warriors.

After struggling to find her rhythm, Batra changed tactics effectively to force left-handed Austrian and World No. 18 Sofia Polcanova into committing mistakes.

Batra also raised her game to win the golden point in the opening and the deciding games.

Sharath tried his best to get Warriors back into the match by pocketing the opening game against Japan's Yoshida Masaki. But the World No. 27 was too consistent to handle for Sharath.

Once Sharath and Hana Matelova conceded tamely to Sathiyan and Sakura Mori in the mixed doubles, the result was all but sealed.

Sathiyan then upset Chin-Yuan Chuang of Chinese Taipei in the penultimate rubber. He not only matched the World No. 15 rally for rally, but also won most of the long rallies to register one of the most memorable victories of his career.

The results: Dabang Smashers bt Warriors 14-7 [Manika Batra bt Sofia Polcanova 11-10, 5-11, 11-10; Yoshida Masaki bt A. Sharath Kamal 7-11, 11-8, 11-8; G Sathiyan & Sakura Mori bt Sharath Kamal & Hana Matelova 11-2, 11-5, 11-10; Cedric Nuytinck bt Aruna Quadri 11-4, 11-9, 2-11; Sakura Mori lost to Sofia Polcanova 4-11, 4-11, 8-11; G. Sathiyan bt Chin-Yuan Chuang 11-7, 11-6, 7-11; Adriana Diaz bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe 11-7, 11-9, 11-7].

Sunday's fixtures: Maharashtra United vs RP-SG Mavericks, 7 p.m.

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