New Delhi, Oct 9 (NationPress) The first-ever Archery Premier League (APL) reached a thrilling climax on Thursday, featuring the Mighty Marathas (MM) securing their semifinal berth while the Prithviraj Yodhas delivered a shocking defeat to the Rajputana Royals, whose flawless streak came to an end after seven victories.

The day commenced with the Marathas clinching a decisive 5-1 victory over the Chola Chiefs (CC). Both Brady Ellison for the Chiefs and Parneet Kaur for the Marathas showcased their exceptional 10-hitting skills in the opening set, but it was Dhiraj Bommadevara’s impressive 10 on the final arrow just before the buzzer that stood out, resulting in a tie of 76-76, awarding one point to each team.

In the second set, the Marathas maintained their composure, capitalizing on some missed shots from the Chiefs under pressure. A disappointing 8 from recurver Deepika left Dhiraj with a simple task to secure the final arrow. He responded with a 10, allowing MM to take the set 78-76 and lead 3-1.

The third set saw CC’s seasoned recurvers falter, resulting in three consecutive 8s, two attributed to Deepika, allowing the Marathas to win the set 75-74 and the match 5-1.

Chero Archers Stay Alive

In another match, the Kakatiya Knights’ compound archers Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam set the pace with four 10s, making a significant impact in the first set. Recurver Elia Canales also rose to the occasion, delivering a crucial 10 that pressured the Chero Archers (CA). Atanu Das’s 9 for CA and Rohit Kumar’s response with a 10 resulted in a tied first set at 77-77, making it 1-1.

In a tightly contested second set, Jyothi scored a vital 10 under duress, while both sides struggled with low scores. Jyothi’s 10 and Canales’s 9 were pivotal, but an 8 from Rohit led to a 72-72 tie, resulting in a 2-2 scoreline.

The Knights began the third set strong with a 10 from Jyothi. Despite Wiener’s 8 being marked for re-measure, Katharin Bauer’s 10 pushed Chero Archers ahead 39-36. The Knights fought back, but crucial re-measures upgraded a couple of Knights’ 8s to 9s, securing the set 76-75 for a 4-2 lead.

The dramatic fourth set witnessed Rohit failing to shoot the last arrow in time, as Das’s 10 placed Chero Archers under immense pressure. Rohit took too long to load his arrow, resulting in a buzzer failure and a 77-67 set victory for Chero Archers, tying the match at 4-4 and leading to a shootout.

During the shootout, both teams sent four archers to aim for the narrow target. Remarkably, the 17-year-old Prithika from CA was the only one to hit the mark, securing a vital win for CA.

Rajputana Royals vs Prithviraj Yodhas

In a crucial match, the Prithviraj Yodhas shocked the undefeated Royals, starting off with a 76-74 win in the first set, led by their experienced captain, Abhishek Verma.

Verma’s consistency shone through in the second set with a 10, matched by a 10 from Matias Grande. Ojas Deotale kept pace with the Yodhas, scoring high. Verma’s second 10 maintained the Yodhas' lead at 49-47, although Ella Gibson’s 10 kept the Royals close. However, Andrea Becera and Grande held their composure, allowing the Yodhas to take the second set 78-77, leading 4-0.

Deotale set the pace for the Royals in a must-win set with a 10. Verma responded with another 10, keeping the Yodhas ahead 38-37. Both teams exchanged 10s, while Becera joined in with a crucial shot that sealed the deal for the Yodhas, who won the set 76-75 and the match 6-0, keeping their semifinal hopes alive.

At the conclusion of the day's matches, the Royals and the Marathas secured their semifinal positions with 7 and 6 wins, respectively, in 8 matches. The remaining two spots will be contested by the Yodhas (8 points), Chiefs (6 points), and Chero Archers (6 points), while the Knights are eliminated with just one win in 8 matches.