Goa, July 20: In an exciting match on Sunday, the HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades secured a 10-5 victory against the UP Prometheans, strengthening their playoff hopes in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7. Meanwhile, the Dempo Goa Challengers continued their unbeaten streak this season.
The Indian duo from Kolkata, Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika Mukherjee, showcased exceptional skills once again. Goa faced a tough challenge from the PBGB Pune Jaguars but managed to maintain their undefeated status in the league.
Ankur defeated Manav Thakkar with scores of 11-10, 11-10, and 11-3. He then teamed up with Ayhika in mixed doubles, preserving their unbeaten record and laying the foundation for Kolkata’s victory. Earlier, Goa edged past Pune with a close score of 8-7, where young Cinderella Das kept her composure in the decisive match, and Bernadette Joks’ outstanding singles performance played a crucial role in the win.
Kolkata took the lead right from the start. Ankur won a golden point game against Manav and followed it up with an easy victory in the third game. Zeng Jian then triumphed over Swastika Ghosh with scores of 11-7, 8-11, and 11-8. Ankur and Ayhika continued their unbeaten journey in mixed doubles, bringing Kolkata closer to victory.
UP found a glimmer of hope through Ricardo Walther, who defeated Eduard Ionescu in straight games with scores of 11-9, 11-8, and 11-8, trying to keep the match competitive. However, Ayhika sealed another crucial win for Kolkata by defeating Sayali Vani in straight games, 11-8, 11-10, and 11-7, effectively ending UP’s chances of a comeback.
Ankur was named ‘Match IQ Player’ and ‘Indian Player of the Tie’, while Walther received the ‘Foreign Player of the Tie’ award. Ayhika was honored with the ‘Shot of the Tie’.
In the first match, Goa had a rocky start. Umar Asar, after losing one game, bounced back to hand Abhinand PB his first singles defeat of the season (10-11, 11-5, 11-8). Bernadette Joks then turned the tide by defeating Prithika Pawde in straight games, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-5. Pune then narrowed the gap in mixed doubles, with Snehit Surawajula defeating Alvaro Robles 2-11, 11-8, 11-10, leaving Goa needing a result in the final match.
Under pressure, Cinderella won the first game 11-7, but Dia responded by taking the second game 11-7, pushing the match to a decisive game. The 16-year-old player maintained her composure to win 11-8, securing the tie and keeping Goa’s unbeaten record intact.
Omar Asar was named ‘Match IQ Player’, Cinderella was recognized as ‘Indian Player of the Tie’, and Joks received the ‘Foreign Player of the Tie’ award. Anirban won the ‘Shot of the Tie’.
Earlier, U Mumba TT claimed the Dream UTT Juniors title by defeating Dabang Delhi TTC 5-2 in the finals. Somdev Devvarman set the stage with a win in boys’ singles, followed by a mixed doubles victory with Ahona Ray. Ahona then secured a win in girls’ singles, clinching the first Dream UTT Juniors title for U Mumba.
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