ShazA Challengers beat Dabang Smashers TTC 14-9 in the second semifinal of the inaugural CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).
Han Ying won both her matches and Li Ping held his nerves when it mattered the most.
Portuguese world No 14 Marcos Freitas, a southpaw, put Dabang Smashers ahead with a 2-1 win over attacking 85-ranked Soumyajit Ghosh, who pulled back the third game in the menas singles (Foreign v Indian) to hand ShazA Challengers one point.
In-form China-born German world No 9 Han Ying made it 4-2 for ShazA Challengers as she brushed aside Madhurika Patkar 3-0 in the womenas singles (Foreign v Indian).
Next up was mixed doubles (Foreign/Indian pair) and the clash saw Soumyajit Ghosh and his partner Petrissa Solja rally to beat A Amalraj and Tetyana Bilenko 2-1 to extend ShazA Challengersa lead to 6-3.
Croatian Andrej Gacina then edged past China-born Ukraine Kou Lei 2-1 in a closely-fought menas singles (Foreign player category) clash to further ShazA Challengers lead to 8-4.
The experienced Han Ying followed up it up by winning her second match of the day to strengthen ShazA Challengersa grip on the tie at 10-5, as she rallied to beat North Korean world No 19 Kim Song I 2-1 in the womenas singles (Foreign player category).
G SathiyanApulled off a surprise win over China-born QatarALi Ping 2-1 in the menas singles (Foreign v Indian) to hand Dabang Smashers their second win of the day. ShazA Challengers, however, continued to lead at 11-7.
Kim Song I (Dabang Smashers) returned to table to thump Mouma Das 2-1 in the womenas singles (Foreign v Indian), but the 135-ranked Indian won the close third game to help ShazA Challengers take a step closer to victory at 12-9.
Li Ping closed it for ShazA Challengers 14-9 by winning the first two games against Freitas in the menas singles (Foreign player category), the eighth and penultimate match.
Earlier in the evening, Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, Bajaj Group chairmanARahul Bajaj and former Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi graced the occasion of second semifinal.
Final score:ADabang Smashers lost toAShaze Challengers 9-14
MS aAMarcos Freitas beatASoumyajit GhoshA2-1A(11-7, 11-6, 9-11)
WS aAMadhurika Patkar lost to Han YingA0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 7-11)
MD aAAmalraj Anthony/ Tetyana BilenkoAlost to Soumyajit Ghosh/ Petrissa Solja 1-2 (11-8, 7-11,A5-11),
MS aAKou Lei lost to Andrej Gacina 2-1 (9-11,A11-6, 7-11)
WSAAa Kim Song I lost to Han Ying 1-2A(11-6, 9-11, 10-11)
MSAa Sathiyan Gnanasekaran beat Li Ping 2-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-4)
WSAa Kim Song I beat Mouma Das 2-1 (11-4, 11-4, 10-11)
MSAAa Marcos Freitas lost to Li Ping 0-2 (9-11, 7-11)
