The Athlead Goa Challengers emerged victorious in a thrilling Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) tie, narrowly defeating U Mumba 8-7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. The match showcased intense competition and dramatic moments, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats.
In the opening men’s singles encounter, Quadri Aruna, representing U Mumba, faced off against Harmeet Desai, the skipper of the Athlead Goa Challengers and a recent participant in the Paris Olympics. Aruna started strong, taking the first game 11-7. However, Desai, known for his defensive prowess, adapted his game, countering Aruna’s fierce topspin with backhand nudges. He eventually evened the score with an 11-4 win in the second game.
The third game saw Aruna’s aggressive play on full display. He raced to a 6-1 lead, but Desai seized the opportunity to turn the tide. He shortened his serves, making it difficult for Aruna to return effectively. The game went down to a golden point, where Desai ultimately prevailed, securing the match 10-11.
The men’s singles fixture also saw U Mumba captain Manav Thakkar suffer his first loss of the season against experienced Italian player Mihai Bobocica. Bobocica’s strategic play, including his use of lobs and backhand shots, proved too much for Thakkar to handle.
However, Maria Xiao, representing U Mumba, brought some cheer to her team, winning her first singles fixture of the UTT 2024 season against Yangzi Liu. Xiao adjusted her service strategy and adopted a more reactive approach, securing a 2-1 victory (11-9, 10-11, 9-11).
In the mixed doubles, Yangzi Liu and Harmeet Desai teamed up to win for the Challengers, defeating Maria Xiao and Manav Thakkar 2-1 (11-6, 10-11, 11-7). With the score tied at 6-6, the final match of the tie pitted U-19 national champion Yashaswini Ghorpade against Sutirtha Mukherjee. Ghorpade played a smart game, adjusting her stance and anticipating Mukherjee’s changes in pace. Her victory by a score of 2-1 (11-8, 11-10, 10-11) sealed the win for the Athlead Goa Challengers.
The Challengers will now be looking to Puneri Paltan Table Tennis to secure a favorable result against Chennai Lions, while Jaipur Patriots need to defeat Ahmedabad SG Pipers by a significant margin to further strengthen their position in the tournament.
