(ANI) U Mumba TT staged a stunning comeback to make a winning start in Ultimate Table Tennis 2023 as it beat Bengaluru Smashers 10-5 in a tie that went down to the wire at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi in Pune on Friday.
In the first match of the tie (Men’s Singles), World No. 58 Kirill Gerassimenko upset World No. 18 Quadri Aruna by 2-1 to gain two crucial team points for his franchise. The Bengaluru paddler began the match with positive intent and played some precise shots to defeat Quadri by 11-3, 9-11, 11-8 in a thrilling contest.
Manika Batra played the next match (Women’s Singles), beating Diya Chitale 2-1 to extend her franchise’s lead by 4-2 in the tie. The World No. 35 was in top gear from the start of the match and won it by 11-10, 7-11, 11-6 with her aggressive and creative net play.
U Mumba TT made a comeback in the third match (Mixed Doubles) as the pair of Manav Thakkar and Lily Zhang defeated Manika and Kirill by 2-1 (11-10, 10-11, 11-6) to reduce Bengaluru Smashers’ lead to 5-4.
Manav continued his top form in the fourth match of the tie (Men’s Singles) as he brushed Sanil Shetty aside by 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-7) to bring U Mumba TT into the lead by 7-5 for the first time in the tie.
Lily Zhang blanked Natalia Bajor by 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4) in the last match to give U Mumba TT a stunning victory.
Pic Credit: UTT Season 4