Ultimate Table Tennis 2018: Anthony Amalraj stars in Maharashtra United's win against table-toppers Dabang Smashers

New Delhi: India’s Anthony Amalraj and Romania’s Elizabeta Samara posted nerve-wracking victories in the Ultimate Table Tennis on Saturday to lift Maharashtra United from the bottom of the table to the second position. Down 2-7 in the tie against table toppers Dabang Smashers, captain Joao Monteiro of Portugal led the fightback, scoring an upset 2-1 win over World No 27 Yoshida Masaki. [caption id=“attachment_4580371” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Maharashtra United’s Anthony Amalraj brought his ‘A’ game against Dabang Smashers. Image courtesy: Twitter @UltTableTennis[/caption] Amalraj then rode on the momentum to pull off a sensational 3-0 win over Belgium’s Cedric Nuytinck. Samara, however, was the star performer for United, posting victories in both her singles matches. The World No 19 first overcame 17-year-old Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico 2-1 and then beat local favourite and India’s poster girl Manika Batra 3-0 to give United a well-deserved 12-9 win. Earlier, cheered on by a houseful crowd, World No. 28 Mori set the ball rolling for the Smashers, trouncing India’s Madhurika Patkar 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-9) in a one-sided contest. Sathiyan then picked up a crucial point against a much higher-ranked Kristian Karlsson and set up a 3-0 victory in the mixed doubles match along with Mori. Playing the last match of the day, with the team scores tied 9-9, Manika started confidently but fumbled during crucial points to lose her way. She lost the first game on golden point and simply couldn’t find her way back into the contest. How they stand: 1. Dabang Smashers 48 points, 2. Maharashtra United 38 points, 3. RP-SG Mavericks 37 points; 4. Falcons TTC 30 points; 5. Empowerji Challengers 30 points; 6. Warriors TTC 28 points