Chennai, 20 July, 2017: The third round clash between Dabang Smashers T.T.C and RP-SG Mavericks was tantalizingly poised at 6-6 after four matches on day 8 of the inaugural CEAT Ultimate Tennis (UTT) at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Action shifts to New Delhi from Friday.
Dabang Smashers T.T.C’s G Sathiyan warmed the hearts of the home crowd as the local star pulled off a stunning 2-1 (11-5, 11-9, 10-11) win over RP-SG Mavericks’ Austrian world No 23 Stefan Fegerl in the men’s singles (Foreign v Indian), the day’s opening match.
Sathiyan, ranked 110, cruised to an easy win in the opening game, and rallied brilliantly to win a tense second game. The Indian then recovered brilliantly from 3-7 in the last game before the experienced Fegerl won on the final point.
Ukrainian world No. 56 Tetyana Bilenko made it 4-2 for Dabang Smashers T.T.C after she rallied from a game down for a 2-1 win (10-11, 11-7, 11-8) over Archana Kamath of RP-SG Mavericks in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian).
Archana, 17 years old and ranked 217, won the opening game on the final point. However, Bilenko came back strongly to bag the next two.
A Sharath Kamal / Sofia Polcanova put RP-SG Mavericks in the lead 5-4 with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5) win over G Sathiyan / Kim Song I of Smashers in the mixed doubles (Foreign/Indian pair).
However, China-born Ukraine world No. 28 Kou Lei of Dabang Smashers T.T.C edged out Portuguese world No. 31 Tiago Apolonia (RP-SG Mavericks) 2-1 (11-3, 10-11, 11-10) in the men’s singles (Foreign player category) to level the scores at 6-all with five more matches remain in the ongoing tie.
Falcons TTC will meet Shazé Challengers on Friday as the action shifts to Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi until July 25 for the second leg.
At the end of four matches: RP-SG Mavericks 6-6 Dabang Smashers T.T.C
MS – Stefan Fegerl lost to G Sathiyan 1-2 (5-11, 9-11, 11-10)
WS – Archana Girish Kamath lost to Tetyana Bilenko 1-2 (11-10, 7-11, 8-11)
MD – Sharath Kamal/ Sofia Polcanova beat G Sathiyan/ Kim Song I 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5)
MS – Tiago Apolonia lost to Kou Lei 1-2 (3-11, 11-10, 10-11)