Sreeja Akula leads Jaipur Patriots to maiden UTT semi-final with 9-6 win
Undefeated Sreeja Akula propelled Jaipur Patriots to their first-ever IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) semi-finals, following their 9–6 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars in the penultimate league-stage game of Season 6 on Wednesday. All ties this season are broadcast live on Star Sports Khel and Star Sports 2 Tamil, and streamed on JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.With the win, Jaipur Patriots accrued a total of 41 points and climbed to second place in the table, three behind leaders Dempo Goa Challengers. Meanwhile, PBG Pune Jaguars were knocked out of playoff contention, with only one berth remaining ahead of tomorrow's final league-stage match between U Mumba TT and Dabang Delhi TTC.advertisementStaged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, IndianOil UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, spread across 16 action-packed days, are taking place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena, with tickets available exclusively on BookMyShow.
Jeet Chandra kicked things off in thrilling fashion for Jaipur Patriots, countering Anirban Ghosh's attacking style to secure a 2–1 win. Dutchwoman Britt Eerland followed with similar flair, taking the first two games before Pune's Reeth Rishya clinched the third on Golden Point.These tight wins gave Jaipur a crucial buffer heading into the mixed doubles, where Jeet and Eerland recovered from an early 0–1 deficit to take games two and three 11–6, 11–7. Their victory mathematically confirmed Jaipur's spot in the semi-finals, marking their first-ever qualification for the IndianOil UTT final four.advertisementPBG Pune Jaguars' Alvaro Robles responded with a composed 2–1 win over Yashansh Malik in the second men's singles, adding urgency to their playoff hopes. However, Sreeja closed the tie in style and ended Pune's chances of a semi-final berth. Undefeated through all five league-stage matches, she dominated her clash with South Korea's Zion Lee 2–1, sealing Jaipur's 9–6 victory.For their starring roles in Jaipur's win, Jeet Chandra was named Indian Player of the Tie, while Eerland was awarded Foreign Player of the Tie. Zion Lee's spectacular round-the-net shot during her singles match against Sreeja earned her the Shot of the Tie honour.
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