Captain G. Sathiyan led from the front as Dabang Delhi TTC kept its Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 semifinal hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over Ahmedabad APL Pipers at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Monday.
Sathiyan’s clean sweep of Payas Jain, an opponent who has troubled him over the past few seasons, proved decisive in a closely contested tie. The 9-6 result means that Delhi will head into its final league fixture against PBG Pune Jaguars on Thursday precisely knowing the permutations.
With Dempo Goa Challengers, U Mumba TT and HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades having already secured last-four berths, both Delhi and Ahmedabad needed a convincing victory to stay in the race. After the opening three matches, there was little to separate the teams, with Delhi holding a slender 5-4 advantage. The onus fell on Sathiyan to deliver against Payas.
The youngster looked set to turn the contest in Ahmedabad’s favour as he surged to a 10-6 lead in the first game, his powerful winners repeatedly piercing Sathiyan’s defence.
Sathiyan brought his experience to the table. | Photo Credit: Butterfly UTT
But the veteran responded with his trademark composure, reeling off five consecutive points to snatch the opener. Buoyed by the comeback, Sathiyan adopted a more aggressive approach to take the second game comfortably.
Even when he trailed 2-5 in the third game, Sathiyan refused to relent. He continued to pile pressure on Payas, forcing errors at crucial moments before completing a facile win.
Ahmedabad stayed alive in the semifinal race only because Manika Batra defeated Sutirtha Mukherjee in the final match. Had Sutirtha prevailed, Delhi would have knocked Pipers out of top-four contention.
The result: Dabang Delhi TTC bt Ahmedabad APL Pipers 9-6 (Youssef Abdelaziz bt Adrien Rassenfosse 11-6, 5-11, 11-10; Maria Xiao lost to Sofia Polcanova 2-11, 11-9, 10-11; G. Sathiyan & Maria bt Payas Jain & Polcanova 11-7, 9-11, 11-4; Sathiyan bt Payas 11-10, 11-8, 11-7; Sutirtha Mukherjee lost to Manika Batra 5-11, 3-11, 11-9).
The standings: Dempo Goa Challengers 46 points (5 ties), Ahmedabad APL Pipers 45 (6), U Mumba TT 41 (5), HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 41 (5), Dabang Delhi TTC 36 (5), PBG Pune Jaguars 34 (5), UP Prometheans 27 (5).
