Falcons keep Maharashtra United at bay in UTT

Falcons TTC held a slender 7-5 lead over DHFL Maharashtra United after four matches in the crucial tie as the race for knockout spots heated up in the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) here today.
Briton Liam Pitchford put Falcons ahead with a 3-0 (11 -6, 11-4, 11-9) win over Harmeet Desai in the men's singles, the tie's opening clash.
Sutirtha Mukherjee rallied strongly to pull off a surprise 2-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-9) win over China-born Portuguese international Fu Yu in the women's singles to extend Falcons' lead to 5-1.
Next up was mixed doubles where Harmeet Desai and his China-born Austrian partner Liu Jia of Maharashtra United won the opening two games before Sanil Shetty and Lee Ho Ching pulled one back for Falcons, who led 6-3 after three matches.

Portuguese Joao Monteiro of Maharashtra United won the first two games convincingly but Sweden's Par Gerell clinched the third in the men's singles to help Falcons stay ahead at 7-5. Five more matches remain in the ongoing tie.
Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar was present to cheer up the players on the opening day of UTT's Mumbai leg.