UTT season 6: U Mumba qualify for semi-finals, end Dabang Delhi's unbeaten streak
Ahmedabad (Gujarat)[India], June 13 (ANI): U Mumba TT secured the fourth and final semi-final spot with a 10-5 win over Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Thursday. While the defeat ended Delhi's four-tie winning run, the Season 2 champions still finished top of the league table with 44 points.
Both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence before kick-off to pay respect to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy.
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.
Lilian Bardet gave U Mumba TT the perfect start, defeating Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 2-1 in the opening singles rubber. After edging a close first game 11-10, Bardet dropped the second 4-11 but responded strongly with an 11-4 win in the decider. Bernadette Szocs followed it up with a 2-1 win over Diya Chitale. Chitale took the first game 11-3, but Szocs levelled with a narrow 11-10 Golden Point win and closed out the match 11-8.
The momentum carried into the mixed doubles, where Szocs partnered Akash Pal to beat Izaac Quek and Diya Chitale in the opening game, confirming U Mumba's place in the semifinals. Delhi, however, bounced back, winning the remaining two games and, subsequently, the match.
Abhinandh PB added two more points for U Mumba with a 2-1 win over Singapore's Izaac Quek. Abhinandh, in his first appearance of the season, started strong, taking the first two games, before Izaac pulled one back with an 11-7 win, enough to take Dabang Delhi to the top of the table. In the final rubber, Yashaswini Ghorpade defeated her World Youth Championships 2023 teammate Suhana Saini 3-0, winning two tight games on Golden Point before closing the match 11-3.
Szocs picked up the double honours of the Foreign Player and Shot of the Tie, while Yashaswini was named the Indian Player of the Tie.
Dabang Delhi will now face Jaipur Patriots in the first semi-final, while reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers will take on U Mumba TT in the second. The winners of the respective ties will compete in the Grand Finale on June 15.
Final Scores
U Mumba TT 10-5 Dabang Delhi TTC
Lilian Bardet beat Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 2-1 (11-10, 4-11, 11-4)
Bernadette Szocs beat Diya Chitale 2-1 (3-11, 11-10, 11-8)
Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs lost to Izaak Quek/Diya Chitale 1-2 (11-5, 7-11, 5-11)
Abhinandh PB beat Izaac Quek 2-1 (11-4, 11-9, 7-11)
Yashaswini Ghorpade beat Suhana Saini 3-0 (11-10, 11-10, 11-3). (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Reigning Champions Dempo Goa Challengers face resolute U Mumba TT in semi-final 2
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers will be eyeing a third-straight final appearance when they take on a resolute U Mumba TT in the second semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday, as per a release. Back-to-back champions and the only team to have won two UTT titles, Goa finished second in the table with three tie wins and 44 points. U Mumba, who last made the playoffs in Season 3, return to the knockouts after finishing third with two points fewer. The winner of this tie will face first-time finalists Jaipur Patriots in the Grand Finale on Sunday. 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, with tickets available only on BookMyShow. Dempo Goa Challengers have alternated wins and losses throughout the league stage but remain a powerhouse led by Harmeet Desai and the dominant Zeng Jian, who won all five of her matches and dropped just one game across the league phase. Zeng also played a key role in the mixed doubles, partnering Harmeet for two important wins. Harmeet himself has been consistent with four wins from five, while Krittwika Sinha Roy has quietly impressed, winning three of her four matches, including a memorable victory over China's Fan Siqi. Brazil's Vitor Ishiy, brought in as a late replacement for Tiago Apolonia, began his UTT campaign with a win. U Mumba, meanwhile, come in with momentum firmly on their side after back-to-back tie wins. Their foreign unit has clicked into gear with Bernadette Szocs and Lilian Bardet each winning four of their last five singles rubbers. Indian youngster Yashaswini Ghorpade has continued her impressive season, notching three wins from four, while Abhinandh PB turned heads in his first appearance, taking down Singapore's Izaac Quek, one of the league's top foreign paddlers. The Szocs-Akash Pal pairing has also delivered in mixed doubles, winning three out of five. Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba did not meet in the league stage, making this their first clash of the season. With both squads stacked with in-form players, the semi-final promises fresh, high-stakes matchups as they battle for a place in the final. Squads Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Vitor Ishiy (Brazil), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani U Mumba: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
David Beckham awarded Knighthood by King Charles III for services to sport and charity
London [UK] June 15 (ANI): Football icon David Beckham has officially received a Knighthood from King Charles III on Saturday (local time), honouring his outstanding contributions to sport and charity. The former Manchester United and England captain is now 'Sir David Beckham', a title befitting one of the most influential and celebrated footballers of all time. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the game, Beckham enjoyed a stellar playing career that spanned across top clubs and continents. He represented footballing giants such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and LA Galaxy, leaving his mark with world-class performances and a legacy of excellence. At the international level, Beckham donned the England shirt 115 times between 1996 and 2009, scoring 17 goals, and captained his country in many memorable moments. His club career is decorated with silverware. At Manchester United, Beckham was an integral part of Sir Alex Ferguson's golden era, playing 265 Premier League matches and scoring 62 goals. Beckham later moved to Real Madrid, where he made 116 appearances and netted 13 goals. His football journey then took him to the United States, and joined LA Galaxy, contributing 18 goals in 98 appearances. Beckham also signed for AC Milan, making 29 appearances and scoring 2 goals, and ended his playing career at Paris Saint-Germain. He has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. Beckham was in India and watched India's semifinal clash against New Zealand in Mumbai on November 15 during the Men's Cricket World Cup. He interacted with cricket greats like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"He needs to score a bit more runs when it's seaming and swinging": Sourav Ganguly urges Shubman Gill to step up as captain, batter in testing English conditions
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 14 (ANI): As Shubman Gill takes on the mantle of captaincy in India's evolving Test team, former skipper Sourav Ganguly has shared his thoughts on the youngster's new role and the challenges that lie ahead in English conditions. India is set to play a five-match test series against England starting June 20. The series will be held from June 20 to August 4 with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester. Ganguly, known for grooming young talent during his captaincy era, expressed confidence in Gill's potential but also stressed the need for technical improvement, particularly in the longer format of the game. 'Wishing him all the best. I am sure he can work on his Test match batting. He is a top-order batsman,' Ganguly told Boria Majumdar of Revsportz. The current Indian Test squad reflects a significant shift from the experienced core of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane to a newer generation featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and Karun Nair, alongside Gill. Ganguly highlighted the changing dynamics of Indian cricket, noting, 'There is no Kohli, no Rohit Sharma, no Ajinkya Rahane... it's absolutely amazing - how things change over a period is unbelievable.' Now one of the senior-most figures in the team, Gill has to lead both as a captain and as a key batter in challenging conditions. England's swinging and seaming pitches present a stiff test, particularly early in the innings. Ganguly emphasized the importance of Gill adapting his game accordingly. 'These are not conditions where you just hit through the line. It's going to seam, swing, the new ball will be different. There can be a time when India is 10 for 2, and he has to come and play the new ball, so the application will be different,' he said. Ganguly believes Gill must tighten his technique, especially when playing the moving ball outside the off stump. 'Shubman needs to score a bit more runs in these conditions when it's seaming and swinging. It is going to be a bit difficult upfront with the new ball. Batting at 100 for 2 and 20 for 4 are two different things, so he has to get the defence right, learn how to leave deliveries outside the off stump,' he added. He also pointed out the need for a front-foot approach in English conditions, a contrast from back-foot play that might work in Australia or South Africa. 'England is a place where you need to be on the front foot quite a bit. It's not Australia or South Africa, where you can hang on the back foot and still play,' he noted. 'In New Zealand and England, it's going to swing and seam, so you've got to be on the front foot and have a good defence. You've got to fight here, where first hour, post lunch, post tea would be different. So, you can't be 50-4 in the first two hours. You've got to be 50-1, then you are in a position to win the Test match, and I think that's where India needs to be,' he said. (ANI)
