Ahmedabad, June 9 (IANS) With the playoff race intensifying, Ahmedabad SG Pipers will be desperate to bounce back when they face a resurgent Kolkata ThunderBlades in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Tuesday.
Currently placed eighth, Ahmedabad SG Pipers have collected 22 game points from four ties and must string together a strong finish to stay in the playoff mix. Their core duo – Ricardo Walther and Ayhika Mukherjee – has been key to keeping them in the fight; the pair has won three of their four mixed doubles matches and remains Ahmedabad’s most bankable partnership.
Individually, Walther has delivered consistent returns, with seven game wins from 12. The German’s serving and attacking play have stood out – his 60% serve success ranks third in the league, and his 66% forehand win rate is the second-best overall.
Ayhika, too, has chipped in valuable games even in losses and will be eager to convert effort into full points. Giorgia Piccolin is still chasing her first game win in UTT and will look to make a statement in a tie that could offer the breakthrough she’s been aiming for.
Kolkata ThunderBlades come in with momentum on their side, fresh off a high-octane 9-6 victory over reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers. The ThunderBlades sit fifth with 29 game points – just three behind the playoff spots – and will be looking to climb further with another strong outing. Ankur Bhattacharjee remains unbeaten this season with a flawless 4/4 record, while both Aruna Quadri and Adriana Diaz have registered three wins apiece to anchor the team’s campaign.
Importantly, the long-tried mixed doubles pairing of Ankur and Diaz finally clicked in the previous tie, registering their first win in four attempts. Kolkata will be hoping that momentum now translates into consistency. One area still up for grabs is the fourth-player slot. Both Selena Selvakumar and Ananya Chande have been tested, but are yet to win a game. Facing an Ahmedabad side still searching for the right balance, this tie could offer a timely opportunity to break that run.
Squads:
Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Ayhika Mukhejree, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini Sivashankar.
Kolkata ThunderBlades: Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Selena Selvakumar, Ananya Chande, Deepit Patil.
–IANS
bc/ab
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
