RP-SG Mavericks maintained their consistency, beating Maharashtra United in Tie 4 of the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 2. The tie remained very close and had to be decided by the last game of the last match of the day, with the Mavericks winning 11-10 against United.

To start the proceedings, Mavericks’ Ayhika Mukherjee faced United’s Lily Zhang in Match one. Despite Mukherjee starting ahead, Zhang soon caught up with her and took the first game away winning via a Golden Point. Ayhika came back with a dominant 11-5 score-line. The final game went neck and neck, with both paddlers equalling one another with every second rally. The game again rolled on to a Golden Point, which Ayhika won to win the match.

Mavericks’ Kou Lei and United’s Amalraj Anthony were up against each other in the next match. Anthony took some time to find his mojo against Lei in the first game but made a comeback to win it. The second game remained as tight as ever and had to be decided on a Golden Point which Lei won to draw level in the match. Both players were quick and played close to the nets. The final game came around easier to Lei, who proved to be better with his backhand skills. The Mavericks went up 4-2 after the match.

In the mixed doubles, the Harmeet Desai-Doo Hoi Kem pairinggot off to an assertive beginning against Amalraj Anthony-Elizabeta Samara, with an 11-5 win in the first game. Anthony-Samara counter-attacked in the next one, but Desai and Doo found their way to victory with effective serves. Samara got herself injured in the final game but continued to win it and a point for her team, as the match ended 2-1 (11-5, 11-6, 5-11) in favour of the Mavericks.

The Karlssons, Mattias and Kristian, were up against each other in the following match. Both players know each other’s style well, which took the games to the wire. However, Kristian’s serves and smashes came across more lethal. He won the match straight away winning the first two games. Mattias used Kristian’s pace against him, winning the final game with a Golden Point.

Samara, who had earlier suffered an injury, was next in line to face Doo in the women’s singles. However, the injury seemed to have hardly affected her hunger for victory. She outwitted Doo in back-to-back games to seal the match right away. She looked comfortable despite her injury and stole subtle points with her strong backhand skills to do a 3-0 (5-11, 10-11, 8-11). Her brilliant finish took United up 8-7 against the Mavericks.

The two captains, Harmeet Desai and Joao Monteiro, came face to face in the sixth match of the day. Monteiro was off to a positive start. But Desai not only recovered soon but also went on to win the game off a Golden Point. The next game remained equally close, with Monteiro winning it 11-9 and drawing level. Both players showed impeccable backhand skills and that took the final game to a Golden Point. Monteiro won the game and match, giving United a 10-8 lead in the tie.

The tie went down to the last game of the last match. Needing just a point, United’s Madhurika Patkar walked out to face Sabine Winter from the Mavericks. The first two games were close, especially the second, but both eventually went Winter’s way as Patkar failed to reach out and return. Though Winter had won the match, winning the final game would have won United the tie. The final point was decided on a Golden Point. Sabine’s topspin got her the crucial point as the Mavericks won the tie.

Rally of the day [Men’s]: Kou Lei vs Amalraj Anthony

Rally of the day [Women’s]: Doo Hoi Kem vs Elizabeta Samara

Indian Oil Indian Player of the Day: Ayhika Mukherjee

CEAT Foreign Player of the Day: Elizabeta Samara

Kellogg’s Muesli Unstoppable Player of the Day: Elizabeta Samara

Shot of the Day: Kristian Karlsson