In the penultimate Tie of the group stage of CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis, DHFL Maharashtra United take on Falcons TTC at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai tonight. After winning their first two Matches, United suffered back-to-back defeats against Dabang Smashers and Shazè Challengers respectively.

The magical number when it comes to qualifying for the semi-finals is 68. This means that if both teams reach the number, they both seal their passage to the final four. The Falcons are better placed, and need to win just 7 Games, whereas United require 14.

Going into the clash, the biggest worry for DHFL Maharashtra United is the indifferent form of Harmeet Desai, as the talented Indian has lost the singles Match in both the previous Ties. United are hoping for a better performance from Desai in Wednesday’s do-or-die Match against the Falcons.

Wong Chun Ting, despite being regarded as one of the great modern-day players, has suffered four defeats in his last five Matches. Ting’s poor run is also a cause of concern for United and it will be interesting to see if the 25-year-old can come up with a special performance in tonight’s Tie.

Fu Yu and Liu Jia have not been able to make notable contributions on a consistent basis and there is no doubt that the duo will be facing an uphill battle against the dominant Wu Yang & Co.

Meanwhile, Falcons TTC are heading into today’s Tie on the back of big defeat against Shazè Challengers last week. Wu Yang’s stupendous 21-Game unbeaten run was ended in the last Tie, as Han Ying defeated the Chinese paddler in three mouth-watering Games.

Despite suffering a defeat in the previous Tie, Yang’s prolific form could be a big headache for United in today’s must-win encounter against Falcons.  In addition to Yang, Liam Pitchford and Par Gerell’s contributions have also proved effective for the team so far, and the duo hope to carry their good form going forward.

After suffering a thumping 3-0 loss to Li Ping in the previous Tie, it’s going to be interesting to see Sanil Shetty’s response in front of his home crowd tonight.

There is no denying that this match is going to be a fascinating contest, as Maharashtra United are desperate for a win to keep their hopes of a semi-final spot alive while Falcons TTC would want to keep their destiny in their own hands by winning.

Falcons TTC have an upper hand, but if DHFL Maharashtra United step up their game, the Mumbai crowd will be in for a treat.

This crunch CEAT UTT Tie between DHFL Maharashtra United and Falcons TTC will be shown LIVE on Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Hotstar and Jio TV.