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Goa Challengers went down 9-6 to Bengaluru Smashers in the 13th match but became the first team to qualify for the semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis 2023. Bengaluru Smashers, who were at the bottom of the table prior to this match, moved to the second position in the points table.
Kirill Gerassimenko gave the initial lead to the Bengaluru Smashers by winning the first match 2-1 against Alvaro Robles. Kirill lost the first game by 11-3 but found his way back into the match by winning the next two games. Manika Batra extended Bengaluru Smashers' lead with a clean sweep over Reeth Tennison. Manika dominated the whole match to win by 11-5, 11-5 and 11-7.
Alvaro/Reeth helped Goa Challengers to open their account by defeating Kirill/Manika in the mixed doubles. The pair lost the first game but came back to win the next two games to win the match.
Jeet Chandra helped Bengaluru Smashers to seal the tie by winning the fourth match of the day. Bengaluru Smashers needed just two games from two matches to seal the tie and Jeet Chandra emerged victorious against Harmeet Desai by 11-7, 11-7 and 10-11 to take the fourth match. Bengaluru Smashers extended their lead by 8-4.
Despite losing the tie, Goa had a lot to play for in the final match. The team needed to win at least two games to become the first team to qualify for the semi-final.
Suthasini Sawettabut overcame Natalia Bajor's challenge to produce a massive result for her team. After losing the first game 11-7, Suthasini sealed the match by 11-5, 11-7. Bengaluru Smashers won the tie by 9-6, while Goa Challengers moved to the top of the table with 36 game points.
Bengaluru Smashers vs Goa Challengers Result
Bengaluru Smashers 9-6 Goa Challengers
Men's Singles
Kirill Gerassimenko 2-1 Alvaro Robles
Scores: 3-11, 11-8, 11-5
Women's Singles
Manika Batra 3-0 Reeth Tennison
Scores: 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
Mixed Doubles
Kirill/Manika 1-2 Alvaro/Reeth
Scores: 11-7, 8-11, 9-11
Men's Singles
Jeet Chandra 2-1 Harmeet Desai
Scores: 11-7, 11-7, 10-11
Women's Singles
Natalia Bajor 1-2 Suthasini Sawettabut
Scores: 11-7, 5-11, 7-11
