The final Tie of the first round saw Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas and DHFL Maharashtra United step on to the court for the first time. In what was a thriller of a Tie, the latter managed to win by a margin of 3 Games.

Indian star Harmeet Desai was cheered on by the crowd with every shot he made, but he had an uphill task ahead of him with Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas captain Panagiotis Gionis in his way. Desai, however, wouldn’t be fazed and took the Match 3-0. Gionis, renowned his defensive style, had no answers to Desai’s offensive play as the latter went against all odds and caused an upset.

While one Indian star rose, the other stuttered. Manika Batra had Liu Jia up against her, but couldn’t get the better of the Austrian. Jia took the first Game 11-6, and while Manika came back in Game 2, Jia proved too strong in the final Game. DHFL Maharashtra United would surge to a 5-1 lead.

The Mixed Doubles Match of the night proved to be a very one-sided one as Quadri Aruna and Manika Batra overcame Joao Monteiro and Pooja Sahasrabudhe without too much fuss. The Yoddhas pair put on an emphatic show, and never looked in trouble as they made a 3-0 clean-sweep.

Moving on to Match 4, it was the battle of the captains. Gionis vs Monteiro, and it was a clash that got the crowd going. Gionis’ luck however, wouldn’t change as he succumbed to his second 3-0 defeat of the night. After the first Game went right down to the wire, the other two were claimed comfortably by Monteiro.

Next, the second Women’s Singles game of the night, Liu Jia was hoping to continue her good form. With Doo Hoi Kem in front of her, Jia had her work cut out. Doo had little to worry about though, as she won the first two Games, but would lose the third to the Golden Point rule.

Fan favourite Wong Chun Ting played underdog Jubin Kumar next. Wong, the highest ranked player at CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis, didn’t have it easy though. While he claimed the first Game, Jubin Kumar came back in the second against all odds to set-up the deciding third. Wong Chun Ting however, put on a professional display and sealed the Match 2-1.

Doo Hoi Kem returned for her second Match of the night, and her form didn’t let her down here. The Yoddhas paddler breezed through to a 3-0 win over Krittwika Sinha Roy 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 and thus maintained her sensational run.

In the penultimate Match of the night, Quadri Aruna and Wong Chun Ting locked horns in the battle of the heavyweights. The crowd were in for a treat, as two of the finest table tennis players put on a stunning show. End-to-end rallies, sensational shots, and more followed, but at the end of the day Wong Chun Ting edged the Match 2-1.

Onto the final Match of the night, as Polina Mikhailova and Fu Yu headed out onto the court for the first time. The Portuguese paddler won the first Match of the night 11-9, but conceded the second to Mikhailova. However, Fu Yu sealed the deal with a win in the final Match and thus handed DHFL Maharashtra United the win in the Tie.

With that Tie, the first round of CEAT UTT comes to a close, but the action is just heating up. Dabang Smashers face Falcons TTC on Sunday, 16th July.