In the final day of the League Stage of CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis, RP-SG Mavericks go head-to-head against the in-form Shazé Challengers at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai, on Thursday.

Falcons TTC and Dabang Smashers have already booked their place in the final four, while the other two teams will be decided after tonight’s Tie.

With 3 wins and 58 points under their belt, Shazé Challengers have to get seven more points to seal the knockout berth. On the other hand, RP-SG Mavericks are lying bottom of the table with 48 points, and they need 17 points to get the better off DHFL Maharashtra United, who are sitting in the fourth place. Anything less, will see United make it to the final four.

Given Han Ying’s breath-taking form and her penchant for winning Matches at will in the inaugural edition of CEAT UTT, there’s no doubt that the Mavericks are in for an uphill battle against the experienced German. Ying has won all the eight Matches that she has featured in so far and her strong transformation from defence to attack proves incredibly difficult for the opposition players. It remains to be seen whether the Mavericks have answers to Ying’s sheer dominance.

In addition to Ying, Andrej Gacina and Li Ping are the stand-out performers for the team and the duo hope to carry their good form into tonight’s Tie.

The only cause for concern for the Challengers heading into the clash is the form Soumyajit Ghosh and Petrissa Solja, as the duo have been blowing hot and cold in the respective Singles category as well in the Mixed Doubles. Ghosh and Solja have to put on a special performance in order to taste success against the in-form Mavericks duo of Sharath Kamal and Sofia Polcanova.

Meanwhile, for RP-SG Mavericks, veteran Sharath Kamal’s outrageous form will be a big boost for them going forward. After losing to Par Gerell in the inaugural Tie, Sharath won the next three battles, including a 2-1 win against the tournament’s highest seed Wong Chun Ting.

Taking Kamal’s individual brilliance aside, the Mavericks have struggled for consistency in the other departments. Sabine Winter has been commanding against the Indian players, but she is yet to win a Match against a foreign opponent. She was on the verge of ending that run in the previous Tie against Polina Mikhailova, but made errors at crucial junctures.

Adding to their woes, Stefan Fegerl has lost three of his last four Matches, while Sofia Polcanova’s game hasn't troubled the opposition players so far.  Unless the duo come up with a special performance, it’s going to be hard for the Mavericks to come out on top against the Challengers’ outfit.

This CEAT UTT Tie between Shazé Challengers and RP-SG Mavericks will be shown Live on Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, hotstar and Jio TV.