Ace paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal led the way with a dominating performance as Chennai Lions thrashed Puneri Paltan 12-3 to record the biggest win in UTT history and reach the threshold of the semi-finals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Courtesy of the historic victory, the home team soared to the fourth spot on the league table with 37 points, the same as third-placed Goa Challengers, who are ahead as they have won three ties, one more than the Chennai Lions.
Puneri Paltan remained in the sixth spot with 31 points.
Chennai Lions exploded right off the blocks, piling up an insurmountable 9-0 lead by winning the first three matches without dropping a single game.
Veteran war horse Sharath put Chennai Lions off to a rip-roaring start with a 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-2) defeat of talented 17-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee in the first men’s singles.
Poymantee Baisya did well to blank the dangerous Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-10) in the first women’s singles, clinching two Golden Points along the way.
The match was a much tighter affair than the one-sided scoreline suggests, with Ayhika putting up a stiff fight in each game even as Poymantee held her nerves to emerge victorious.
That handed Chennai Lions a 6-0 lead and the home team continued their rampaging ways by claiming the mixed doubles match with another 3-0 margin as the formidable pair of Sakura Mori and Sharath thrashed Natalia Bajor and Anirban Ghosh 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-8) to put the issue beyond any doubt.
Jules Rolland maintained the unbeaten run for the Chennai Lions, beating Joao Monteiro 2-1 (11-7, 2-11, 11-3) in the second men’s singles.
With the Chennai Lions needing to win another two games to seal their spot in the knockout stage, Natalia broke the hearts of the home crowd as she broke Sakura’s unbeaten run this season with a 2-1 (11-10, 8-11, 11-3) verdict in the second women’s singles.
Today’s result means that if Jaipur Patriots win this season’s final league tie against Ahmedabad Pipers on Wednesday, Chennai Lions will qualify for the semi-finals. But if the Ahmedabad win by eight points or more, the home team may get knocked out.
Detailed Scores
Chennai Lions bt Puneri Paltan Table Tennis 12-3:
Achanta Sharath Kamal bt Ankur Bhattacharjee 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-2)
Poymantee Baisya bt Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-10)
Sakura Mori/Sharath Kamal bt Natalia Bajor/Anirban Ghosh 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-8)
Jules Rolland bt Joao Monteiro 2-1 (11-7, 2-11, 11-3)
Sakura Mori lost to Natalia Bajor 1-2 (10-11, 11-8, 3-11)