Goa: Reigning champions U Mumba TT secured their first victory of Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7, powered by ChatGPT, with a thrilling 8-7 win over previously unbeaten Dabang Delhi TTC in a dramatic Golden Point finish at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
The decisive moment came in the final Women’s Singles match, where Anusha Kutumbale needed just one game to secure the tie for U Mumba. However, Delhi’s experienced Spanish paddler Maria Xiao fought back brilliantly, saving four tie points to claim the opening game before winning the second to level the contest at 7-7.
With the tie heading into a winner-takes-all Golden Point decider, Anusha displayed remarkable composure under pressure, winning the crucial rally to hand U Mumba their maiden victory of the season.
Earlier in the tie, Youssef Abdelaziz gave Dabang Delhi an early advantage after defeating Manush Shah in the opening men’s singles.
U Mumba responded through Anna Hursey, who recovered from losing the first game to defeat Sutirtha Mukherjee 2-1, handing the Delhi paddler her first game and first match defeat of the season.
The Mumbai franchise then gained momentum as the pairing of Anna Hursey and Manush Shah stunned the previously unbeaten duo of G. Sathiyan and Maria Xiao, ending their impressive seven-match winning streak across Seasons 6 and 7.
French paddler Lilian Bardet further strengthened U Mumba’s position with a hard-fought victory over G. Sathiyan, maintaining his unbeaten international record against the Indian star.
Despite Maria Xiao’s determined comeback in the closing stages, Anusha Kutumbale held her nerve when it mattered most to complete a memorable victory.
For her outstanding display, Anna Hursey was named Foreign Player of the Tie, while Manush Shah received the Indian Player of the Tie award. Maria Xiao earned the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie honour, while Sathiyan Gnanasekaran claimed the Bisleri Shot of the Tie award.
Earlier in the day, Dream UTT Juniors witnessed Dempo Goa Challengers becoming the first team to qualify for the semifinals after defeating Ahmedabad APL Pipers 7-2. HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades also boosted their playoff hopes with a narrow 5-4 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars.
The action continues on Thursday with an exciting Maharashtra Derby between U Mumba TT and PBG Pune Jaguars.
Final Score
U Mumba TT 8-7 Dabang Delhi TTC
- Manush Shah lost to Youssef Abdelaziz 1-2 (9-11, 5-11, 11-6)
- Anna Hursey bt. Sutirtha Mukherjee 2-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-6)
- Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao 2-1 (11-4, 6-11, 11-8)
- Lilian Bardet bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 2-1 (11-10, 8-11, 11-8)
- Anusha Kutumbale lost to Maria Xiao 2-1 (10-11, 9-11, 11-10)*
*U Mumba secured the tie through the Golden Point decider.
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