French Olympian Prithika Pavade produced a powerhouse performance as PBG Pune Jaguars defeated UP Prometheans 9-6 in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 here on Sunday.
Pavade capped a memorable outing by toppling two-time UTT MVP Yangzi Liu in the deciding women's singles.
UTT Season 7 features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, while continuing to strengthen the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition.
UP made the brighter start through Germany's Ricardo Walther, who overcame Egypt's Omar Assar in three games with an assured display.
Pune responded immediately as Diya Chitale fought back from a game down to edge Sayali Wani in another closely contested battle, before the Jaguars seized control through Snehit SFR and Pavade, who held their nerve to win a pair of dramatic mixed doubles Golden Points.
Snehit then maintained his unbeaten start to the season by edging Sudhanshu Grover in another three-game contest.
With the tie still alive, Pavade delivered the performance of the afternoon, bouncing back after dropping the opening game against Liu to take control of the contest and close out a memorable victory.
Results
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PBG Pune Jaguars bt UP Prometheans 9-6; Omar Assar lost to Ricardo Walther 1-2 (4-11, 10-11, 11-9); Diya Chitale bt Sayali Wani 2-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-10); Snehit SFR/Prithika Pavade bt Ricardo Walther/Swastika Ghosh 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-10); Snehit SFR bt Sudhanshu Grover 2-1 (11-7, 3-11, 11-9); Prithika Pavade bt Yangzi Liu 2-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-9).