PBG Bengaluru Smashers edged out Ahmedabad SG Pipers 9-6 in an Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) tie, despite the loss of their star player Manika Batra, to move to the top of the league table on August 31.
With this victory, Bengaluru Smashers climbed to the top of the standings with 40 points.
The 29-year-old Batra suffered a narrow defeat to Romania's Bernadette Szocs in the women’s singles match and also faced a setback in the mixed doubles match alongside Alvaro Robles at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Szocs, who avenged her loss to Batra at the Paris Olympics, fought back after losing the first game to secure a 7-11, 11-9, 11-7 win, giving Ahmedabad an early lead.
Lilian Bardet provided Ahmedabad with a strong start by overcoming Anthony Amalraj in the men’s singles opener. The French international clinched one of the two golden points in his hard-fought 2-1 (11-9, 11-10, 10-11) victory against the experienced Amalraj.
Szocs secured her second win of the evening in the mixed doubles, teaming up with Manush Shah to defeat the Bengaluru pair of Batra and Robles 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8).
Robles, who was named the Foreign Player of the Tie, led Bengaluru’s comeback by winning all three games in the men’s singles against Shah, leveling the score at 6-6 and setting up an exciting finish.
Lily Zhang then sealed the win for Bengaluru with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-10) victory over Krittwika Sinha Roy in the second women’s singles.
Batra was named the Indian Player of the Tie.
The Scores
PBG Bengaluru Smashers bt Ahmedabad SG Pipers 9-6: Anthony Amalraj lost to Lilian Bardet 1-2 (9-11, 10-11, 11-10) Manika Batra lost to Bernadette Szocs 1-2 (11-7, 9-11, 7-11) Manika Batra/ Alvaro Robles lost to Bernadette Szocs/ Manush Shah 1-2 (3-11, 11-7, 8-11) Alvaro Robles bt Manush Shah 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8) Lily Zhang bt Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-10).
PTI
