UTT Season 7: U Mumba crush UP for biggest-ever win, Ahmedabad power to 10-5 win over Pune (Ld)
Panaji (Goa), July 18 (IANS) Defending champions U Mumba TT produced a record-breaking display to overpower UP Prometheans 13-2 in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 at the Dr Shayama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao near Panaji on Saturday.
The emphatic victory saw U Mumba register the biggest winning margin in the competition’s five-match format while also setting a new record with 11 consecutive game wins, climbing to first in the table.
U Mumba’s Lilian Bardet and Anusha Kutumbale gave the side a 6-0 lead before the in-form mixed doubles pairing of Manush Shah and Anna Hursey sealed the tie with another blank. Manush then defeated longtime doubles partner Manav Thakkar, while Hursey completed the record-breaking 13-2 triumph. Earlier in the day, Ahmedabad APL Pipers defeated PBG Pune Jaguars 10-5 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), the UTT Season 7 features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, while continuing to strengthen the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition and year-round development initiatives.
U Mumba made a flying start as Bardet swept aside Ricardo Walther in straight games before Anusha Kutumbale produced one of her finest performances of the season, blanking two-time UTT MVP Yangzi Liu for her first match win of the campaign. The defending champions then all but settled the contest as Manush and Hursey continued their outstanding run in mixed doubles with another dominant straight-games victory, giving U Mumba an unassailable 9-0 lead.
Manush followed it up by defeating longtime doubles partner and close friend Manav Thakkar in the opening two games, extending U Mumba’s streak to a record 11 consecutive game wins before Thakkar halted it by taking the third on Golden Point. Hursey then completed the statement victory with a three-game win over Sayali Wani, sealing a 13-2 triumph that set new competition records for both the biggest winning margin and the longest sequence of games won in the five-match UTT format.
Anusha claimed both the Match IQ and Indian Player of the Tie awards, Bardet was named the Foreign Player of the Tie, while Manush Shah won the Bisleri Shot of the Tie award.
In the day’s first tie, Ahmedabad seized control early as Adrien Rassenfosse handed Snehit Suravajjula his first singles defeat of the season before Sofia Polcanova overcame Diya Chitale in their first-ever meeting, winning the final two games on Golden Point. Payas Jain and Polcanova then rallied from a game down to clinch the mixed doubles and put the Pipers firmly in command.
Omar Assar kept Pune alive with a hard-fought victory over Payas, but Manika Batra sealed the tie emphatically, defeating Prithika Pavade in straight games. Polcanova was named both the Match IQ Player and Foreign Player of the Tie, while Manika claimed the Indian Player of the Tie award. Pavade earned the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
Earlier, UTT Juniors, Butterfly UTT’s grassroots competition running alongside Season 7, saw Dabang Delhi TTC defeat Dempo Goa Challengers 5-2 and U Mumba TT overcome UP Prometheans 5-1 in the semifinals, with both teams advancing to the final, scheduled to be played on Sunday, July 19.
Final scores:
Ahmedabad APL Pipers 10-5 PBG Pune Jaguars
Adrien Rassenfosse bt. Snehit Suravajjula 2-1 (11-8, 11-6, 8-11)
Sofia Polcanova bt. Diya Chitale 2-1 (4-11, 11-10, 11-10)
Payas Jain/ Sofia Polcanova bt. Anirban Ghosh/Prithika Pavade 2-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-7)
Payas Jain lost to Omar Assar 1-2 (6-11, 11-7, 9-11)
Manika Batra bt. Prithika Pavade 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8)
U Mumba TT 13-2 UP Prometheans
Lilian Bardet bt. Ricardo Walther 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-6)
Anusha Kutumbale bt. Yangzi Liu 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-3)
Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt. Ricardo Walther/Swastika Ghosh 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-2)
Manush Shah bt. Manav Thakkar 2-1 (11-7, 11-4, 10-11)
Anna Hursey bt. Sayali Wani 2-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-6)
–IANS
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