Latest news with #BernadetteSzocs
The Hindu
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
UTT 2025: From Worlds medal to packed calendar, Bernadette Szocs enjoying life on the fast lane
Life of an elite professional athlete doesn't have much room for time outside the sporting arena. Achievements, regardless of how big they may be, are seldom celebrated in a grand manner. From one tournament to the other, the journey continues. But Bernadette Szocs doesn't mind it one bit. 'I haven't had a holiday in three years. I maybe had a maximum of two or three days off. But I don't regret it at all because I love what I do. This is my life. I always enjoy playing,' says the Romanian. World No. 12 Szocs is in India, leading U Mumba in the sixth season of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league in Ahmedabad which started on May 31. The tournament began barely a week after one of the biggest days of her career. ALSO READ | More matches, variations and problem-solving: How Sreeja Akula hopes to use UTT 2025 to regain lost form At the recent World Championships in Doha, Szocs and her Austrian partner Sofia Polcanova became the first European pair since 1977 to reach the women's doubles final. While they could not finish at the top of the podium, Szocs became the first Romanian woman since 1993 to win a medal at the event. But for the 30-year-old Szocs, there was no time to celebrate. 'After the World Championships, I had to go to Romania to play the Romania league final. And then, I flew directly to India, So, I didn't want to celebrate or party because I also wanted to focus on the tournament here in India,' she says. 'I am happy to be back in India and be a part of UTT. I have a lot of fans here and it is always a pleasure to be a part of this league.' Szocs hopes to find some time after UTT, which ends on June 15, to invite some of her friends and people close to her to celebrate the World Championships medal before she goes to Slovenia for the WTT Star Contender event beginning from June 17. At the moment, she does have someone special with her in India - her mother, who has been cheering for her from the stands. 'This year, I brought my mother with me so that I can spend some time with her. Last year, she wanted to come but I didn't know how it would be here. This year, I gave her a surprise and said that you're coming with me,' she says. In U Mumba's two ties so far, Szocs has played two singles and two mixed doubles matches. She had a tough tournament opener against PBG Pune Jaguars where she just managed to come from three match points down to beat Dina Meshref in singles. Mixed doubles with Akash Pal ended in a defeat. ALSO READ | Nick Kyrgios out of Wimbledon with injury During her UTT matches in the past, Szocs has been seen sporting a traditional bindi, a tiny ornament commonly worn by Hindu women in between the eyebrows. However, the bindi was missing when she played the first tie this season. But her second outing was a much more comfortable affair against Ahmedabad SG Pipers where she won both. 'I forgot it. I feel this is very lucky. So, the first thing I did when I woke up was to put this directly in my bag. I couldn't play one more match without it,' says Szocs after the win over Ahmedabad.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Reeth Rishya, Anirban Ghosh Star in PBG Pune Jaguars Comeback 9-6 Win Over Rivals U Mumba TT
Ahmedabad, (Gujarat) [India] June 1 (ANI): Indian stalwarts Reeth Rishya Tennison and Anirban Ghosh starred as PBG Pune Jaguars came from behind to defeat Maharashtra rivals U Mumba TT 9-6 in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 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, according to a release from UTT. International stars Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs kicked things off positively for U Mumba with wins in their respective matches, helping their team into an early 4-2 lead. Bardet took little time to secure an 11-1 victory in Game 1 of the first match against UTT favourite Alvaro Robles, before dominating Game 2 with an 11-4 win. However, Robles crucially pulled one back for PBG Pune Jaguars, keeping them within touching distance of their opponents in a league where every game counts. Meanwhile, Szocs extended her perfect head-to-head record across all competitions against Season 6 debutant Dina Meshref, staging a dramatic comeback by saving three match points in Game 2 before going on to win the match 2-1. But the momentum shifted dramatically when Anirban stepped up for Pune. First, he partnered with Meshref to win a nervy mixed doubles battle 2-1, clinching it with the Golden Point. Then, he edged Akash Pal 2-1 in a gritty singles contest to level the tie at 6-6. In the decider, the experienced Reeth dominated against Swastika Ghosh 3-0, sealing a memorable 9-6 win for Pune. Reeth was named Indian Player of the Tie, while Szocs earned Foreign Player of the Tie. Akash took home the Shot of the Tie prize. Earlier at the Dream UTT Juniors--a joint initiative by UTT and Dream Sports Foundation--Dempo Goa Challengers edged Stanley's Chennai Lions 5-4, powered by a flawless 3-0 win from Sahil Rawat and a crucial mixed doubles win. In the second tie, Jaipur Patriots sealed a 6-3 victory over Ahmedabad SG Pipers, with Shreya Dhar starring in both singles and doubles alongside Trishal Surapureddy. Final Scores PBG Pune Jaguars 9-6 U Mumba TT Alvaro Robles lost to Lilian Bardet 1-2 (1-11, 4-11, 11-8) Dina Meshref lost to Bernadette Szocs 1-2 (11-5, 10-11, 9-11) Anirban Ghosh/Dina Meshref bt. Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs 2-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-10) Anirban Ghosh bt. Akash Pal 2-1 (11-6, 10-11, 11-8) Reeth Rishya Tennison bt. Swastika Ghosh 3-0 (11-9, 11-10, 11-6). (ANI)
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
UTT Season 6: PBG Pune Jaguars comeback to beat rivals U Mumba TT 9-6
Indian stalwarts Reeth Rishya Tennison and Anirban Ghosh starred as PBG Pune Jaguars came from behind to defeat Maharashtra rivals U Mumba TT 9-6 in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), 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. International stars Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs kicked things off positively for U Mumba with wins in their respective matches, helping their team into an early 4-2 lead. Bardet took little time to secure an 11-1 victory in Game 1 of the first match against IndianOil UTT favourite Alvaro Robles, before dominating Game 2 with an 11-4 win. However, Robles crucially pulled one back for PBG Pune Jaguars, keeping them within touching distance of their opponents in a league where every game counts. Meanwhile, Szocs extended her perfect head-to-head record across all competitions against Season 6 debutant Dina Meshref, staging a dramatic comeback by saving three match points in Game 2 before going on to win the match 2-1. But the momentum shifted dramatically when Anirban stepped up for Pune. First, he partnered with Meshref to win a nervy mixed doubles battle 2-1, clinching it with the Golden Point. Then, he edged Akash Pal 2-1 in a gritty singles contest to level the tie at 6-6. In the decider, the experienced Reeth dominated against Swastika Ghosh 3-0, sealing a memorable 9-6 win for Pune. Reeth was named Indian Player of the Tie, while Szocs earned Foreign Player of the Tie. Akash took home the Shot of the Tie prize. Earlier at the Dream UTT Juniors, Dempo Goa Challengers edged Stanley's Chennai Lions 5-4, powered by a flawless 3-0 win from Sahil Rawat and a crucial mixed doubles win. In the second tie, Jaipur Patriots sealed a 6-3 victory over Ahmedabad SG Pipers, with Shreya Dhar starring in both singles and doubles alongside Trishal Surapureddy. Final Scores PBG Pune Jaguars 9-6 U Mumba TT Alvaro Robles lost to Lilian Bardet 1-2 (1-11, 4-11, 11-8) Dina Meshref lost to Bernadette Szocs 1-2 (11-5, 10-11, 9-11) Anirban Ghosh/Dina Meshref bt. Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs 2-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-10) Anirban Ghosh bt. Akash Pal 2-1 (11-6, 10-11, 11-8) Reeth Rishya Tennison bt. Swastika Ghosh 3-0 (11-9, 11-10, 11-6)
News18
17-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6 To Begin With Exciting Double-Header In Ahmedabad
Last Updated: The sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis starts at EKA Arena, Ahmedabad, with Dempo Goa Challengers vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers. Eight franchises compete in 23 ties, finale on June 15. The sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) will begin at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad with a double-header including a match between defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers and home team Ahmedabad SG Pipers. Earlier in the evening, Season 2 winners Dabang Delhi TTC will face Sreeja Akula-led Jaipur Patriots in the opener. Eight franchises will compete across 23 ties with the finale set for June 15. U Mumba TT, led by world No. 14 Bernadette Szocs and rising Indian star Yashaswini Ghorpade, begin their season with a Maharashtra Derby on June 1 against PBG Pune Jaguars, spearheaded by Spanish ace Alvaro Robles. Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades, featuring world youth no. 5 Ankur Bhattacharjee and Olympians Quadri Aruna and Adriana Diaz, open their campaign on June 2 against Season 3 winners Chennai Lions, headlined by China's Fan Siqi, the most expensive pick at this year's auction, and former world youth number one (U-17) Payas Jain. Other key clashes lined up include the Western Derby between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on June 2. A rematch of last year's final between Dabang Delhi and Dempo Goa Challengers, which pits Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Diya Chitale against Harmeet Desai and Singapore's Zeng Jian, is set for June 4. The semifinals will be played on June 13 and 14. After the league stage, the top four teams on the points table will progress to the knockout stage before the semifinals and the finals. First Published: May 16, 2025, 16:26 IST
The Print
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Print
UTT's sixth season kicks off on May 31, final on June 15
U Mumba TT, led by world No. 14 Bernadette Szocs and rising Indian star Yashaswini Ghorpade, begin their season with a Maharashtra Derby on June 1 against PBG Pune Jaguars, spearheaded by Spanish ace Alvaro Robles. Earlier in the evening, Season 2 winners Dabang Delhi TTC will face Sreeja Akula-led Jaipur Patriots in the opener. Eight franchises will compete across 23 ties with the finale set for June 15. New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) will begin at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad with a double-header including a match between defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers and home team Ahmedabad SG Pipers. Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades, featuring world youth no. 5 Ankur Bhattacharjee and Olympians Quadri Aruna and Adriana Diaz, open their campaign on June 2 against Season 3 winners Chennai Lions, headlined by China's Fan Siqi, the most expensive pick at this year's auction, and former world youth number one (U-17) Payas Jain. Other key clashes lined up include the Western Derby between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on June 2. A rematch of last year's final between Dabang Delhi and Dempo Goa Challengers, which pits Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Diya Chitale against Harmeet Desai and Singapore's Zeng Jian, is set for June 4. The semifinals will be played on June 13 and 14. Each team will play five ties in the group stage, while each tie will consist of five matches — two men's singles, two women's singles, and one mixed doubles. After the league stage, the top four teams on the points table will progress to the knockout stage before the semifinals and the finals. PTI AH PM AH PM PM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
