UTT Season 6: Ahmedabad SG Pipers look to bounce back against momentum-carrying Kolkata ThunderBlades
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 9 (ANI): With Ankur Bhattacharjee, Quadri Aruna, and Adriana Diaz all winning their singles rubbers, Kolkata ThunderBlades beat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers 9-6 in the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday.
Kolkata's victory saw them move into the playoff spots, occupying fourth with 29 points. Goa, with six more game wins on the board, moved level on points with leaders Jaipur Patriots and U Mumba TT, as per UTT.
Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena.
The tie opened with a gripping clash between two of the league's best: Goa captain Harmeet Desai took the opening game 11-10 after a stunning comeback from 4-9 down, but Aruna fought back with relentless aggression to take the next two games and hand Harmeet his first singles loss of the season.
Adriana Diaz followed with a dominant 3-0 win over Krittwika Sinha Roy, highlighted by a jaw-dropping defensive rally turned match point winner, which earned her the Shots of the Tie award.
Ankur and Diaz kept the momentum alive in the doubles, edging Harmeet and Zeng Jian in a tight 2-1 win, their first of the season as a pair. Ankur returned to the table and showcased his class, coming back from a game down to overwhelm Ronit Bhanja 11-1 in the decider, maintaining his unbeaten start. Though Zeng gave Goa a strong finish with a dominant 3-0 win over Selena Selvakumar--extending her unbeaten record to 4-0--it was not enough to prevent a second defeat.
For their efforts, Ankur and Diaz were named the Indian and the Foreign Player of the Tie, respectively.
It was double delight for Kolkata ThunderBlades, as they claimed the inaugural title at the Dream UTT Juniors-a joint initiative by UTT and Dream Sports Foundation-earlier in the day, with a 5-2 win over U Mumba TT.
Ritvik Gupta started the final with a win in the singles rubber, before combining with Swara Karmakar to help Kolkata into a 4-2 lead. Swara secured the remaining point in her match to seal the title. Kolkata walked away with the INR 2 lakh prize for first place, while U Mumba earned INR 1 lakh as runners-up.
Final Scores
Kolkata ThunderBlades 9-6 Dempo Goa Challengers
Quadri Aruna bt. Harmeet Desai 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-6)Adriana Diaz bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6)Ankur Bhattacharjee/Adriana Diaz bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-10, 9-11, 11-7)Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-1)Selena Selvakumar lost to Zeng Jian 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 4-11). (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Dallas Mavericks debunk rumors of Jason Kidd switching to New York Knicks with an ultimate move
Dallas Mavericks debunk rumors of Jason Kidd switching to New York Knicks with an ultimate move (Image Source: Getty) The New York Knicks fired their head coach days back, but that's not the main news. Supposedly, the Knicks are seeking Jason Kidd, the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, and want to interview him for the position. While the rumors made their way all over the Internet, it seems the Mavericks are not willing to let go of their head coach. As per NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks won't even allow the Knicks to interview Kidd for the position. Besides, Kidd has been leading the Mavericks with great strategies due to which they have reached several playoffs. Dallas Mavericks might deny New York Knicks from interviewing Jason Kidd The rumors of Jason Kidd going over to the New York Knicks have increased over time. After the Knicks fired their head coach Tom Thibodeau, they have been looking for a new coach and Jason Kidd seems to be the perfect fit. However, Marc Stein recently stated that there's less chance of the Dallas Mavericks letting go of their head coach. "Dallas, though, can simply refuse to grant the Knicks permission to speak with Kidd once formally asked and I've heard from a few well-placed observers this week who believe that the Mavericks would ultimately do just that.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like NRIs Living In Bahrain Are Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension. Invest 18K/Month Get Offer Undo However, there is a chance that the Hall of Famer turned head coach might not want to stay at the Mavericks. It is well known that Kidd joined the team because of Luka Doncic. When the Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers, without even informing Kidd, the head coach was frustrated. But, does that mean Kidd will leave the Mavericks? Though the team is not willing to let go of him, they do need to provide a good enough reason for the head coach to stay. With the NBA Draft season nearing, the Dallas Mavericks have the top pick of the season and chances are high of the team picking Cooper Flagg, the most sought after player of the season. If Flagg makes it to Mavericks, it will give the head coach a solid reason to guide and train the player, thus making him stay on the team. Besides, the Mavericks do need a good defensive coach, and Kidd has been phenomenal in that area. Also Read: New York Knicks eye Jason Kidd for head coach role following Tom Thibodeau's surprise firing after playoff run
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Ahmedabad SG Pipers look to bounce back against momentum-carrying Kolkata ThunderBlades
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 9 (ANI): With Ankur Bhattacharjee, Quadri Aruna, and Adriana Diaz all winning their singles rubbers, Kolkata ThunderBlades beat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers 9-6 in the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday. Kolkata's victory saw them move into the playoff spots, occupying fourth with 29 points. Goa, with six more game wins on the board, moved level on points with leaders Jaipur Patriots and U Mumba TT, as per UTT. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. The tie opened with a gripping clash between two of the league's best: Goa captain Harmeet Desai took the opening game 11-10 after a stunning comeback from 4-9 down, but Aruna fought back with relentless aggression to take the next two games and hand Harmeet his first singles loss of the season. Adriana Diaz followed with a dominant 3-0 win over Krittwika Sinha Roy, highlighted by a jaw-dropping defensive rally turned match point winner, which earned her the Shots of the Tie award. Ankur and Diaz kept the momentum alive in the doubles, edging Harmeet and Zeng Jian in a tight 2-1 win, their first of the season as a pair. Ankur returned to the table and showcased his class, coming back from a game down to overwhelm Ronit Bhanja 11-1 in the decider, maintaining his unbeaten start. Though Zeng gave Goa a strong finish with a dominant 3-0 win over Selena Selvakumar--extending her unbeaten record to 4-0--it was not enough to prevent a second defeat. For their efforts, Ankur and Diaz were named the Indian and the Foreign Player of the Tie, respectively. It was double delight for Kolkata ThunderBlades, as they claimed the inaugural title at the Dream UTT Juniors-a joint initiative by UTT and Dream Sports Foundation-earlier in the day, with a 5-2 win over U Mumba TT. Ritvik Gupta started the final with a win in the singles rubber, before combining with Swara Karmakar to help Kolkata into a 4-2 lead. Swara secured the remaining point in her match to seal the title. Kolkata walked away with the INR 2 lakh prize for first place, while U Mumba earned INR 1 lakh as runners-up. Final Scores Kolkata ThunderBlades 9-6 Dempo Goa Challengers Quadri Aruna bt. Harmeet Desai 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-6)Adriana Diaz bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6)Ankur Bhattacharjee/Adriana Diaz bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-10, 9-11, 11-7)Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-1)Selena Selvakumar lost to Zeng Jian 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 4-11). (ANI)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Dabang Delhi stretch unbeaten run with win over PBG Pune Jaguars
Ahmedabad, Table-toppers Dabang Delhi TTC extended their unbeaten run in the Ultimate Table Tennis with an 11-4 win over PBG Pune Jaguars here on Sunday. Earlier, Kolkata ThunderBlades reignited their playoff hopes with a 9-6 victory over reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers. Dabang Delhi started the final double header of the season strongly as Izaac Quek outclassed Alvaro Robles in the opening two games before the Spaniard pulled one back. Maria Xiao followed up with another 2-1 win against Taneesha Kotecha on her UTT debut despite the Pune youngster impressing with a gritty final game comeback. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Xiao then continued their unbeaten mixed doubles run, edging Robles and Reeth Rishya 2-1 to give Delhi firm control. Sathiyan followed up with a 2-1 win over Anirban Ghosh to seal the tie, before Diya Chitale wrapped up the night with a commanding 3-0 sweep over South Korea's Zion Lee, collecting the Indian Player of the Tie award in the process. Xiao claimed the Foreign Player of the Tie honour, while Anirban walked away with another Shot of the Tie distinction. Earlier, with Ankur Bhattacharjee, Quadri Aruna, and Adriana Diaz winning their respective singles rubbers, Kolkata ThunderBlades pulled off a win over Dempo Goa Challengers. Aruna handed Harmeet Desai his first singles loss of the season in a thriller, while Diaz followed up with a ruthless 3-0 sweep of Krittwika Sinha Roy, capped by a show-stopping rally that earned her Shot of the Tie. Ankur and Diaz then edged out Harmeet and Zeng Jian in doubles for their first win as a pair. Ankur returned to defeat Ronit Bhanja in the decider, staying unbeaten this season. Zeng closed the tie with a 3-0 win for Goa, adding crucial points on the board. Ankur and Diaz were named Indian and Foreign Players of the Tie.
