UTT | Adriana Diaz helps Dabang Smashers go past Maharashtra United to enter final
Adriana Diaz’s crucial win helped Dabang Smashers get the better of a fighting Maharashtra United to enter the final of the Ultimate Table Tennis on Friday. Diaz of Puerto Rico kept her nerve to seal Dabang Smashers’ the final spot with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9) win over Madhurika Patkar.
In a thrilling battle of equals, Dabang Smashers got past Maharashtra United to enter the final of the Ultimate Table Tennis at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Friday. Japan’s Sakura Mori and young Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico scored the crucial victories to guide the Smashers to a close 11-10 victory. Mori triggered Smashers’ fightback by winning the mixed doubles in the company of captain Gnanasekaran Sathiyan against Anthony Amalraj and Lily Zhang 2-1(7-11, 11-5, 11-8). She went
But it was the 17-year-old Diaz who scored the all-important win for Smashers’ to seal a final spot with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9) win over Madhurika Patkar. The Puerto Rican was down 1-7 in the third game but she made a sensational fightback to win it 11-9.
World No. 52 Cedric Nuytinck also played a part in Smashers success by upsetting World No. 40 Joao Monteiro 2-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-8). Earlier, a charged up Anthony Amalraj had put United ahead, stunning World No. 27 Yoshida Masaki 2-1 in the second clash of the tie. Romania’s Elizabeta Samara and Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson made the most of that upset, winning their respective singles to keep United in the hunt.
The 32-year-old Amalraj dominated his opponent, ranked 108 places above him, to win 2-1 (11-4, 11-8, 7-11) while World No. 18 Samara battled a troubled ankle to subdue Manika Batra 2-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-10). Karlsson’s 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-8) drubbing of Smashers’ captain Gnanasekaran Sathiyan meant United were just one point away from a place in the final (10-8) but teenager Diaz dashed their hopes.
