The second round-robin phase of the Archery Premier League season two was completed on Saturday (17 October), with Kakatiya Knights finishing top of the standings after a commanding 6-0 victory over Mighty Marathas.
Prithviraaj Yodhas also kept their title hopes alive with two crucial wins at the People’s Plaza in Hyderabad.
With both teams already assured of the top two positions, Saturday’s encounter served as a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s first qualifier.
Austrian compounder Nico Wiener and India’s Jyothi Surekha Vennam led the way for Knights, both shooting a perfect 60 out of 60 despite gusty conditions.
Marathas, who rested Dhiraj Bommadevara at the start, struggled to find their rhythm and scored below 70 in each of the opening two sets.
The introduction of Bommadevara and Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia helped them improve to 74 in the third, but Knights responded with 78 to complete the 6-0 sweep.
Knights had rested its in-form recurver Neeraj Chauhan, giving the home franchise another confidence boost ahead of the decisive rematch.
Meanwhile, Yodhas produced two impressive performances to extend their campaign into the final day.
Needing victory over Rajputana Royals to remain in contention, Yodhas delivered a 6-0 win before returning to the field to face Chero Archers in the first eliminator.
