New Delhi, Oct 9 – The first season of the Archery Premier League (APL) hit the business side Thursday, sending the Mighty Marathas (MM) into the semi‑finals while the Prithviraj Yodhas surprised the Rajputana Royals, ending the Royals’ winning streak of seven games.
Mighty Marathas edge Chola Chiefs
The Marathas started the day with a 5‑1 win over the Chola Chiefs (CC). In the opening set, Brady Ellison of the Chiefs and Parneet Kaur of the Marathas both hit perfect 10s. The set tied 76‑76 thanks to a clutch 10 from Dhiraj Bommadevara on MM’s last arrow before the buzzer.
The Marathas stayed calm in the second set. The Chiefs fired a few loose arrows, including an 8 from recurver Deepika, which let Dhiraj hit a 9 and then a 10 on his final shot. MM took that set 78‑76, giving them a 3‑1 lead.
In the third set, Ellison and Deepika hit three 8s in a row, leaving the Marathas ahead by a point. MM won the set 75‑74 and the match 5‑1.
Chero Archers stay alive
The Chero Archers faced the Kakatiya Knights (KN) in a tight match. In the first set, Knights compounders Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam blasted four 10s, while recurver Elia Canales steadied the Archers with a 10 and left them in a 1‑1 tie.
The second set was a close battle. Jyothi hit a 10 when the Knights needed it, and Canales added a 9. The set finished 72‑72, drawing the series to 2‑2.
In the third set, the Archers built a 39‑36 lead thanks to a 10 from Katharin Bauer, while the Knights bounced back with a 10 from Wiener. After a re‑measure of a couple of Knights’ 8s, the Archers sealed the set 76‑75 for a 4‑2 lead.
The fourth set was dramatic. Chero Archers’ Das hit a 10 on the final arrow, forcing the Knights to load too slowly and missing the time limit. The Archers took the set 77‑67, tying the match at 4‑4.
A sudden‑death shoot‑out pitted four archers from each side at the yellow dot. The 17‑year‑old Chero Archers’ Prithika was the lone hit, giving the Archers a 5‑4 win and a chance to stay in the tournament.
Prithviraj Yodhas out‑shoot Rajputana Royals
The Yodhas upset the undefeated Royals in a must‑win match. In the first set, captain Abhishek Verma led from the front with a 10, followed by a 10 from Matias Grande. Royals’ Ojas Deotale fired consistently, but Verma’s second 10 kept the Yodhas ahead 49‑47. The second set, after a 10 by Verma and another by Grande, was won 78‑77, giving the Yodhas a 4‑0 lead.
Deotale pushed hard in the next set, scoring a 10 in the first four arrows to keep the Royals in the race. Verma and Deotale each hit strong shots, and a 10 from Andrea Becera sealed a 76‑75 win for the Yodhas. The Yodhas finished 6‑0, keeping them alive for the semi‑finals.
Standings after Thursday
The two teams in the semi‑finals are the Rajputana Royals and the Mighty Marathas, with 7 and 6 wins respectively out of 8 matches. The fifth spot will be decided between the Prithviraj Yodhas (8 points), the Chola Chiefs (6 points), and the Chero Archers (6 points). The Kakatiya Knights are eliminated, sitting with one win in eight matches.
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Source: ianslive
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