Two home favourites, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, will lead their respective teams, Chennai Lions and Dabang Delhi TTC, in an enticing Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
Later in the day, Manav Thakkar-led U Mumba TT will face Season 5 debutants Jaipur Patriots in both teams’ second tie of the campaign.
Both Sharath and Sathiyan hail from Chennai and, with Olympic appearances and multiple Asian and Commonwealth Games medals, are considered two of the finest paddlers the nation has produced. As such, their clash will be the highlight of Chennai Lions’ tie against Dabang Delhi TTC, but it will not be the only one.
With both teams featuring prodigious youngsters, talented national, and outstanding international stars, there will be plenty of enthralling matches on offer to the audiences both inside the stadium and outside, watching from the comfort of their homes.
In the second tie of the double header day, Manav will spearhead U Mumba TT against debutants Jaipur Patriots, who will be aiming for a quick course correction following an opening day defeat against reigning champions Athlead Goa Challengers.
UTT’s first-ever South Korean paddler, Cho Seung-min, shone in his team’s defeat to the defending champions; his potential clash against the great Quadri Aruna will be one of the highlights of the tie. Meanwhile, Manav’s return to the table, given his position in Indian table tennis, is sure to delight those watching.
The first tie of the day will take place at 17:00 local time, while the second is scheduled to begin at 19:30.
Earlier on Friday, Jeet Chandra stunned India’s top-ranked male paddler, Sharath Kamal, while Ayhika Mukherjee beat World no. 13 Bernadette Szocs in Ultimate Table Tennis 2024’s ‘Day of Upsets’. Jeet’s sensational performance against Sharath drove his team, PBG Bengaluru Smashers, over the line against hosts Chennai Lions. Ayhika’s giant killing, meanwhile, set the tone for Puneri Paltan Table Tennis’ victory over Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
New PBG Bengaluru Smashers captain Alvaro Robles began the tie with a men’s singles bout against Frenchman Jules Rolland. Robles, ranked 30th in the world, opened with a win, sustaining pressure in the final game from a resurgent Rolland to claim the match 2-1. Subsequently, Lily Zhang beat Poymantee Baisya by the same scoreline to increase PBG Bengaluru’s lead to 4-2.
Another home favourite, Amalraj Anthony, partnered Zhang in an entertaining mixed doubles win over Sharath and Mori. Later, in the tie’s second women’s singles match, Manika Batra lost to Sakura Mori 2-1. Manika took the early lead but conceded the following two games to her opponents, the second being decided in a nail-biting manner through the Golden Point. Still, PBG Bengaluru Smashers won the tie 11-4.
In the day’s earlier tie, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis beat Ahmedabad SG Pipers 10-5, with Ayhika stealing the spotlight for her huge upset over Szocs. Previously, Manush Shah of Ahmedabad SG Pipers opened with a win over two-time Olympian Joao Monteiro. Later, 17-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee announced himself with a scintillating performance against France’s Lilian Bardet. Despite defeats in men’s singles and mixed doubles, last year’s semi-finalists Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, reigned victorious.