Ayhika Mukherjee got the better of world No 13 and three-time Olympian Bernadette Szocs as Puneri Paltan began their campaign in the Ultimate Table Tennis with a commanding 10-5 win over Ahmedabad SG Pipers in Chennai on Friday. (More Sports News)
Mukherjee, who had beaten world No 1 Sun Yingsha earlier this year turned up the heat on the Romanian to record a dominating 3-0 win.
Mukherjee’s prevailed 11-7, 11-5, 11-6.
The contest began with captains from both the teams, Joao Monteiro and Manush Shah, facing off in the men’s singles match with the young Indian player bouncing back to record a win.
Monteiro’s experience came to the fore as he won the first game 11-5. But the world No 92 Monteiro, however, found it tough in the second game as Shah bounced back to win the second game and in the third, his topspin smashes were the highlights.
Ahmedabad SG Pipers clinched the mixed doubles’ match as the pair of Mukherjee and Monteiro lost to the combination of Shah and Szocs 2-1.
Puneri Paltan’s Ankur Bhattacharjee, 17, then created waves when he prevailed against France’s world No 90 Lilian Bardet 3-0, after which Natalia Bajor defeated Reeth Rishya 2-1 to hand her side a dominating win.
Results: Joao Monteiro lost to Manush Shah 1-2 (11-5, 7-11, 6-11); Ayhika Mukherjee beat Bernadette Szocs 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6); Monteiro/Ayhika lost to Manush/Szocs 1-2 (11-7, 3-11, 7-11); Ankur Bhattacharjee beat Lilian Bardet 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-8); Natalia Bajor beat Reeth Rishya (7-11, 11-8, 11-5).
