Sharath dazzles in Chennai Lions’ win over Dabang Delhi

CHENNAI: Led by Achanta Sharath Kamal, Chennai Lions bounced back in style from its previous loss in Ultimate Table Tennis by defeating Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

Home favourite Sharath, who is the league’s highest-ranked male Indian paddler, showed his class in a 2-1 win over Delhi’s Andreas Levenko in the tie’s first men’s singles, unleashing a range of powerful smashes on the Austrian making his debut in the fifth season of UTT. Sharaths’s win set the tone for the tie, with his teammates following suit later on.

Subsequently, in the tie’s first women’s singles, Sakura Mori defeated Orawan Paranang, 2-1, to extend Chennai’s lead. Mori proved her prowess in difficult circumstances, staying in control of the match despite repeated fightbacks from her opponent. While the Japanese paddler took the opening two games, her Thai counterpart varied her approach in the third and claimed a consolation victory, reducing Delhi’s deficit.

The mixed doubles match between the two teams followed the same trend, as Chennai’s pairing of Sharath and Mori beat Delhi’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Paranang 2-1. The host secured the tie in the very next match, with Jules Rolland defeating local boy Sathiyan two games to one.

In the final match of the tie, Delhi’s Diyale Chitale scripted personal history. The Mumbai girl, who used to watch IndianOil UTT as a fan from the stands, won her first match ever in the league in her second year. She beat Poymantee Baisya 3-0.

Detailed Scores: Chennai Lions bt Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7:

Sharath Kamal bt Andreas Levenko 2-1 (11-5, 11-8, 8-11); Sakura Mori bt Orawan Paranang 2-1 (11-10, 11-8, 4-11); Sharath/Mori bt Sathiyan/Paranang 2-1 (11-6, 11-6, 9-11); Jules Rolland bt Sathiyan G. 2-1 (11-7, 11-9, 8-11); Poymantee Baisya lost to Diya Chitale 0-3 (9-11, 7-11, 5-11)