Diya Chitale led Dabang Delhi TTC to a thrilling 8-7 win over Kolkata ThunderBlades in UTT Season 6. Goa Challengers also triumphed over Pune Jaguars, climbing to second place. Catch all the UTT action live on Star Sports and JioHotstar as the league heats up.
The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league, sanctioned by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, has emerged as a premier professional table tennis league in the country. With top Indian and international players competing, UTT Season 6 continues to deliver edge-of-the-seat action. On Friday, the league saw thrilling encounters that reshaped the table standings, most notably due to a heroic performance by Diya Chitale for Dabang Delhi TTC.
In one of the most dramatic ties of the season, Diya Chitale’s commanding win over debutant Ananya Chande proved decisive in Dabang Delhi’s 8-7 victory over Kolkata ThunderBlades. Going into the final match with the tie hanging in the balance, Diya displayed composure and skill beyond her years, sweeping the match 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-7) to secure the win.
This victory catapulted Dabang Delhi TTC to the top of the table and also earned Diya the title of Indian Player of the Tie. Her performance stood out on a day when Delhi had to dig deep after trailing for much of the tie.
The encounter began with a standout performance by 18-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee, who maintained his unbeaten record in the season by defeating Singapore’s Izaac Quek in a nail-biting Golden Point decider. Adriana Diaz, in excellent form for Kolkata, extended the lead by outplaying Maria Xiao 2-1.
Delhi struck back in the mixed doubles, as Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao displayed their chemistry to notch a 2-1 win and remain undefeated as a pair this season. However, Kolkata’s Quadri Aruna took down Sathiyan in a heavyweight men’s singles bout, pushing Kolkata back in front and setting the stage for Diya Chitale’s heroics.
Despite Kolkata’s narrow loss, Adriana Diaz was recognized as the Foreign Player of the Tie and also won Shot of the Tie for a sensational forehand flick.
In another entertaining clash earlier in the day, defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers took down PBG Pune Jaguars 10-5. Goa’s captain Harmeet Desai continued his stellar form, winning a tight 2-1 battle against Alvaro Robles, while Krittwika Sinha Roy marked her return with a crucial 2-1 win over debutant Zion Lee.
The mixed doubles team of Harmeet and Zeng Jian made short work of their opponents, winning 3-0. Zeng also handed Reeth Rishya her first singles defeat of the season. Goa’s balance and depth were on full display, with Harmeet named Indian Player of the Tie and Zeng taking home Foreign Player of the Tie. Pune’s Anirban Ghosh earned Shot of the Tie for a brilliant forehand winner.
In the junior division, U Mumba TT clinched a 6-3 victory over Jaipur Patriots to finish top of the table, with Ananya Muralidharan impressing in both singles and doubles. Meanwhile, Divyanshi Bhowmick starred for Stanley’s Chennai Lions in a narrow 5-4 win over Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
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With the group stage concluded, the UTT Juniors semifinal lineup is set: U Mumba will face Jaipur Patriots in a rematch, and Dempo Goa Challengers will take on Kolkata ThunderBlades.
Final Scores Recap
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Dempo Goa Challengers 10-5 PBG Pune Jaguars
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Harmeet Desai bt. Alvaro Robles 2-1
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Krittwika Sinha Roy bt. Zion Lee 2-1
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Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian bt. Anirban Ghosh/Zion Lee 3-0
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Tiago Apolonia lost to Anirban Ghosh 1-2
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Zeng Jian bt. Reeth Rishya 2-1
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Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7 Kolkata ThunderBlades
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Izaac Quek lost to Ankur Bhattacharjee 1-2
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Maria Xiao lost to Adriana Diaz 1-2
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Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao bt. Bhattacharjee/Diaz 2-1
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Sathiyan Gnanasekaran lost to Quadri Aruna 1-2
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Diya Chitale bt. Ananya Chande 3-0
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All UTT ties are broadcast live on Star Sports Khel and Star Sports 2 Tamil, with live streaming available on JioCinema/Hotstar.
