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 IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday.
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.
{{/usCountry}}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.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier at the Dream UTT Juniors—a joint initiative by IndianOil 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.