World No. 1 recurve archer Brady Ellison of the USA produced a clinical performance to guide Chola Chiefs to their second successive win, defeating Prithviraj Yodhas 6-2 in the Archery Premier League here on Friday.
Ellison leads from the front
Ellison, known for his consistency under pressure, anchored the Chiefs’ campaign with a near-flawless display. His precision in the crucial third and fourth sets ensured the match swung firmly in favour of the Chiefs after the Yodhas had levelled the score earlier. Former world No. 1 Deepika Kumari, also in the Chiefs’ ranks, remained patchy, but Ellison’s composure proved enough to secure the tie.
Yodhas falter under pressure
The Yodhas’ hopes suffered a setback when recurve archer Gatha Khadake was timed out twice—once in the opening set and again in the fourth. Each shooter has just 15 seconds to release their four arrows, and those lapses proved costly, as the team lost crucial points.
Captain Abhishek Verma impressed in the compound section, while Andrea Becerra contributed steadily. However, lack of consistent support from Gatha and Matias Grande meant the Yodhas could not maintain momentum.
Chiefs dominate late sets
The Chiefs started strong, winning the first set 72-64. The Yodhas bounced back with a narrow 74-73 win in the second to make it 2-2. But Ellison and his teammates held their nerve to clinch the next two sets 77-73 and 78-68, sealing a 6-2 triumph.
With this result, the Chiefs have collected four points from two matches and look well-set in the early standings.
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