'Seven-star' Rajputana Royals seal semifinal berth, Knights on brink of exit

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Rajputana Royals of Rajasthan extended their unbeaten run to seven matches and became the first team to seal a semifinal berth in the Archery Premier League, while Telengana's Kakatiya Knights suffered their sixth loss to all but crash out of contention, here on Wednesday.

After Tuesday's washout, six teams played double-headers across two sessions on Wednesday.

In the afternoon, the Chero Archers of Jharkhand beat the Mighty Marathas 5-1, before the Royals, bolstered by the return of Ojas Deotale, overcame the Chola Chiefs of Tamil Nadu 6-2 in four sets.

The Knights then slumped to a 1-5 defeat against the Prithviraj Yodhas of Delhi.

In the evening session, the Royals kept their flawless record intact, easing past the Knights 5-1 to confirm a last-four spot.

The Chiefs, powered by Brady Ellison and Deepika Kumari, defeated the Archers 6-2, while the Marathas edged the Yodhas 5-3 in a tense encounter that went into the fourth set tied 3-3.

The Royals top the table with 14 points from seven wins and a set difference of +29.

The Marathas, with five wins and 10 points, are also close to securing a semifinal place.

The Chiefs and Yodhas follow with six points each, ahead of the Archers (four points) and the Knights (two). PTI TAP PDS PDS