Panaji (Goa), July 16 (IANS) Reigning champions U Mumba TT continued their resurgence in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7, defeating Maharashtra rivals PBG Pune Jaguars 9-6 at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigaon near Panaji on Thursday to register a second successive victory and climb to the top of the standings.
After a cagey opening, U Mumba seized control through a commanding Mixed Doubles display from captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey, before France’s Lilian Bardet held his nerve in a thrilling Golden Point finish against Omar Assar to put the tie beyond Pune’s reach.
Living up to its billing, the Maharashtra Derby began with Pune drawing first blood as Snehit Suravajjula extended his unbeaten run this season, recovering from a game down to defeat Manush in the first Men’s Singles. U Mumba responded immediately through Hursey, who produced another composed display to overcome Diya Chitale in three games and level the tie.
The momentum shifted decisively in the mixed doubles, where Manush and Hursey combined superbly to sweep Snehit and Prithika Pavade in straight games, handing the defending champions a crucial cushion. Pune’s hopes then rested on Omar Assar, who took the opening game against Lilian Bardet before the Frenchman fought back to level the contest.
The decider produced the tie’s defining moments, as Assar stunned the crowd with a breathtaking around-the-net winner—later named the Shot of the Tie—before Bardet held his nerve on the Golden Point to complete the comeback and seal U Mumba’s second successive victory.
With the tie already decided, Pavade ensured Pune finished on a positive note with a 2-1 victory over Anusha Kutumbale. The pair produced the longest rally of the season in the second game, a 31-shot exchange that saw Pavade absorb wave after wave of attack from deep behind the table before Anusha eventually blinked. Anusha bounced back to take the third game on Golden Point with a scintillating backhand winner.
For their contributions, Manush picked up the Indian Player of the Tie award, while Hursey was named the Foreign Player and the Player of the Tie.
Earlier, in the UTT Juniors, UTT’s grassroots competition running alongside Season 7, Dabang Delhi TTC edged UP Prometheans 5-4 to keep their playoff hopes alive; UP remained firmly in the top-four race despite the narrow defeat. Ahmedabad APL Pipers also signed off with a 5-4 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars, though both sides were eliminated from semifinal contention.
Final scores:
U Mumba TT 9-6 PBG Pune Jaguars
Manush Shah lost to Snehit Suravajjula 1-2 (11-6, 9-11, 6-11)
Anna Hursey bt. Diya Chitale 2-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-6)
Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt. Snehit Suravajjula/Prithika Pavade 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-7)
Lilian Bardet bt. Omar Assar 2-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-10)
Anusha Kutumbale lost to Prithika Pavade 1-2 (8-11, 10-11, 11-10)
–IANS
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