Defending champion Goa Challengers and final yr’s finalist Dabang Delhi TTC started their Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6 marketing campaign with wins in contrasting style on the opening day on the EKA Arena right here on Saturday.
Goa Challengers — with Gujarati captain Harmeet Desai and his higher half Krittwika Sinha Roy — was stretched to the hilt by 2024 semifinalist Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
The tie was open until the final final rubber when Zeng Jian closed it out by pipping Giorgia Piccolin to arrange a 10-5 win.
Dabang Delhi rode on captain G. Sathiyan’s exploits to outplay Jaipur Patriots 11-4. Sathiyan didn’t concede a single sport in his two matches, together with the blended doubles tie with southpaw Maria Xiao as his accomplice.
Had Diya Chitale — the National girls’s champion — not squandered a 7-2 lead within the final league and saved a clear slate, the Delhi squad would have equalled the joint-highest margin of outcome document.
In a late match, Harmeet and Krittwika had spectacular outings in singles. Harmeet saved a match level within the second sport in opposition to the seasoned German Ricardo Walther earlier than operating away with the decider. Krittwika used her expertise in opposition to Ayhika Mukherjee to place Challengers in cost.
The outcomes: Dabang Delhi TTC bt Jaipur Patriots 11-4 (Izaac Quek bt Kanak Jha 5-11, 11-5, 11-9; Maria Xiao misplaced to Sreeja Akula 11-4, Sept. 11, 10-11; G. Sathiyan & Maria Xiao bt Jha & Sreeja 11-6, 11-10, 11-6; Sathiyan bt Jeet Chandra 11-6, 11-7, 11-6; Diya Chitale bt Britt Eerland 11-8, 11-7, 8-11).
Dempo Goa Challengers bt Ahmedabad SG Pipers 10-5 (Tiago Apolonia bt SFR Snehit 11-6, 11-6, 10-11; Krittwika Sinha Roy bt Ayhika Mukherjee 4-11, 11-8, 11-9; Zeng Jian & Harmeet Desai misplaced to Ayhika & Ricardo Walther Sept. 11, 10-11, 11-10; Harmeet bt Riccardo Walther 6-11, 11-10, 11-3; Zeng bt Giorgio Piccolin 11-7, 11-7, 11-5).
Sunday’s fixture: U Mumba TT vs PBG Pune Jaguars (5 p.m.)
Published – May 31, 2025 10:47 pm IST
