UTT: Sharath stunned as Bengaluru Smashers beat Chennai Lions

India's top-ranked male paddler goes down to Jeet Chandra in the Ultimate Table Tennis championship on Friday

Ashwin Prasath

CHENNAI: Jeet Chandra stunned India's top-ranked male paddler, A Sharath Kamal, as PBG Bengaluru Smashers thrashed Chennai Lions 11-4 in the Ultimate Table Tennis championship here on Friday.

New PBG Bengaluru Smashers captain Alvaro Robles began the tie with a men's singles bout against Frenchman Jules Rolland. Robles, ranked 30th in the world, opened with a win, sustaining pressure in the final game from a resurgent Rolland to claim the match 2-1. Subsequently, Lily Zhang beat Poymantee Baisya by the same scoreline to increase PBG Bengaluru's lead to 4-2.

Another home favourite, Anthony Amalraj, partnered Zhang in an entertaining mixed doubles win over Sharath and Mori. Later, in the tie's second women's singles match, Manika Batra lost to Sakura Mori 2-1. Manika took the early lead but conceded the following two games to her opponents, the second being decided in a nail-biting manner through the Golden Point. Still, PBG Bengaluru Smashers won the tie in style.

Puneri Paltan win
Earlier, Ayhika Mukherjee maintained her giant-killing ways in her first match of the season beating World No 13 and three-time Olympian, Bernadette Szocs, 3-0. Ayhika's win set up a 10-5 triumph for Puneri Paltan over Ahmedabad SG Pipers in their opening tie.

All eyes were on Ayhika following her sensational win over World No 1 Sun Yingsha earlier this year. On the opposite end was UTT 2024's highest-ranked player Szocs who found it difficult to read Ayhika's uncommon technique throughout. Ayhika ran away with the three ties 11-7, 11-5, 11-6, adding Szocs to her list of scalps in 2024.

The tie began with captains Joao Monteiro and Manush Shah taking on each other in the first men's singles match. Seventeen years later, Manush's senior, Monteiro — ranked 92 — showed his considerable experience by blocking the youngster's aggressive hits and finding the spaces he left behind, and took the first game 11-5. Manush — ranked 111 by comparison — hit back in game 2, adding precision to his power, and levelled the match 1-1.

Monteiro's high serve became a feature in game 3, but Manush countered it with feisty topspin smashes en route to causing an upset against the two-time Olympian.

Monteiro, Ayhika, Manush, and Szocs returned to the table to contest the mixed doubles round, which went in favour of the debuting Ahmedabad SG Pipers 2-1. Seventeen-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee then announced himself to the wider table tennis world with a blistering win over World No 90 Lilian Bardet; the debutant swept aside his higher-ranked opponent 3-0, handing Puneri Paltan Table Tennis the tie. Natalia Bajor added sheen to the win by defeating Ahmedabad SG Pipers' Reeth Rishya 2-1.

Friday's results: PBG Bengaluru Smashers bt Chennai Lions 11-4: Alvaro Robles bt Jules Rolland 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-6); Lily Zhang bt Poymantee Baisya 2-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-3); Amalraj/Zhang bt Sharath/Mori 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-8); Jeet Chandra bt Achanta Sharath Kamal 3-0 (11-6, 11-10, 11-9); Manika Batra lost to Sakura Mori 1-2 (11-5, 5-11, 10-11).

Puneri Paltan Table Tennis bt Ahmedabad SG Pipers 10-5: (Joao Monteiro lost to Manush Shah 1-2 (11-5, 7-11, 6-11); Ayhika Mukherjee bt Bernadette Szocs 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6); Monteiro/Ayhika lost to Manush/Szocs 1-2 (11-7, 3-11, 7-11); Ankur Bhattacharjee bt Lilian Bardet 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-8); Natalia Bajor bt Reeth Rishya (7-11, 11-8, 11-5).

A Sharath Kamal (right) in action on Friday