Dempo Goa Challengers delivered a dominant 12-3 demolition of Dabang Delhi TTC in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 on Friday, 18 July 2025, equalling the largest winning margin in the five-match format and tightening their hold at the top of the standings at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao, near Panaji. Earlier in the day, Ayhika Mukherjee became the first player to defeat Sofia Polcanova this season as HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades edged Ahmedabad APL Pipers 9-6 to bolster their playoff prospects.

Goa's Total Domination Against Delhi

Alvaro Robles set the tone immediately, sweeping aside Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in straight games 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9). Syndrela Das then edged fellow teenager Divyanshi Bhowmick in a high-quality three-game contest, described as a battle between two of the country's brightest young prospects. Robles and Das combined in the mixed doubles to overpower the pairing of Sathiyan and Maria Xiao, extending Goa's advantage further.

Abhinandh PB continued his remarkable unbeaten run with a commanding straight-games win over Youssef Abdelaziz, before reigning MVP Bernadette Szocs sealed the rout by defeating Xiao 2-1 (11-5, 11-10, 10-11). Abhinandh claimed the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie, Indian Player of the Tie, and Bisleri Shot of the Tie awards, while Robles was named Foreign Player of the Tie.

Ayhika's Historic Upset Lifts Kolkata

Ahmedabad made the brighter start in the day's opening tie, with Adrien Rassenfosse edging Ankur Bhattacharjee on Golden Point in the deciding game, before Manika Batra overcame Zeng Jian in three games to give the Pipers an early 4-2 lead.

Kolkata responded decisively. Ankur and Ayhika dominated the mixed doubles against Payas Jain and Polcanova, before Eduard Ionescu levelled the tie with a clinical straight-games victory over Jain. Ayhika then produced the tie's defining moment — recovering after dropping the opening game to defeat Polcanova 2-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-3), making her the first player to beat the Austrian this season. Ionescu earned both the ChatGPT Match IQ Player and Foreign Player of the Tie honours, while Ayhika claimed Indian Player of the Tie. Manika earned the Bisleri Shot of the Tie.

UTT Juniors Semifinals Set

On the sidelines of the senior action, the UTT Juniors competition — Butterfly UTT's grassroots programme running alongside Season 7 — saw Dabang Delhi TTC defeat PBG Pune Jaguars 6-3 to seal their semifinal berth. The final four is now confirmed: Delhi will join UP Prometheans, U Mumba TT, and Dempo Goa Challengers in the knockout stage.

Context and What It Means

Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), UTT Season 7 features 42 players from across the globe, including 14 Olympians. Goa's result, achieved with all five singles and doubles players winning, underlines why they are the tournament's form team. For Kolkata, Ayhika's win over Polcanova — the most formidable women's player in the field this season — could prove a season-defining moment as they chase a playoff spot.

With the standings tightening and the knockout stage approaching, the next round of fixtures will be critical in determining which teams join Goa at the top.

Full Scorecards

HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades 9-6 Ahmedabad APL Pipers
Ankur Bhattacharjee lost to Adrien Rassenfosse 1-2 (11-10, 10-11, 10-11)
Zeng Jian lost to Manika Batra 1-2 (7-11, 11-6, 10-11)
Ankur Bhattacharjee/Ayhika Mukherjee bt. Payas Jain/Sofia Polcanova 2-1 (11-9, 11-3, 4-11)
Eduard Ionescu bt. Payas Jain 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Ayhika Mukherjee bt. Sofia Polcanova 2-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-3)

Dempo Goa Challengers 12-3 Dabang Delhi TTC
Alvaro Robles bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9)
Syndrela Das bt. Divyanshi Bhowmick 2-1 (11-9, 10-11, 11-4)
Alvaro Robles/Syndrela Das bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao 2-1 (11-8, 11-5, 9-11)
Abhinandh PB bt. Youssef Abdelaziz 3-0 (11-4, 11-10, 11-8)
Bernadette Szocs bt. Maria Xiao 2-1 (11-5, 11-10, 10-11)