Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2017, highlights: Maharashtra United go down 11-16 against Dabang Smashers T.T.C.

Preview: Tie 10 of Ultimate Table Tennis will see DHFL Maharashtra United go head-to-head against Dabang Smashers T.T.C at Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi. United are the only team in the league, who are yet to taste defeat, while the Smashers have been blowing hot and cold, winning one and losing two ties so far. [caption id=“attachment_3844307” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] DHFL Maharashtra United’S Harmeet Desai in action during the Tie 3 of UTT against Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas. Ultimate Table Tennis[/caption] After sealing a win against Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas in their opening encounter, DHFL Maharashtra United dismantled RP-SG Mavericks with 16-11 in their next Tie. Going into the clash, the biggest boost for them is the form of Harmeet Desai, as the Surat lad won both the Matches against quality modern-day players like Stefan Fegerl and Panagiotis Gionis. The flying starts that Desai gave for DHFL Maharashtra United in the previous Tie was vital for them to keep the momentum on their side throughout the Tie. So, it’s interesting to see the Smashers’ tactics against the talented Indian going forward. Despite the fact that the Men in Orange were supreme against Mavericks in the previous Tie, the biggest surprise was that the tournament’s highest seed Wong Chung Ting’s loss to Indian veteran Sharath Kamal. The 25-year-old had no answers to Kamal’s astonishing forehands in the first two Games and lost the Match eventually 2-1. Although he came back strongly and routed Stefan Fegerl in Match 8, it’s interesting to see his approach against Smashers in today’s tie. Veteran Fu Yu and Joao Monteiro proved effective for the team in their previous encounters and the duo will hope to carry their good form. Dabang Smashers, on the other hand, are heading into the Tie at the back of 13-14 defeat against RP-SG Mavericks on Thursday. They had a great start by winning the first two Matches but they failed to win any of the Games in the Mixed Doubles category, and that proved decisive in the outcome of the thrilling Match. Mixed doubles has been an area of concern for the Smashers, as they are yet to win a Game in the three Matches they have played so far in UTT. It’s very important for them to get a right combination and get some wins under their belt. For the Smashers, Chennai lad Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is showing lot of promise in the Men’s Singles, despite not at his very best in the Mixed Doubles. He has already won both his singles Matches against the consistent Par Gerell and Stefan Fegerl, but there is no denying that the real test for him would be against Saturday’s opponents. Considering the imperious form of DHFL Maharashtra United, there is no doubt that Smashers should come up with a special performance in order to taste success, or else it’s going to be another walk in the park for the Men in Orange.