Can Diya Chitale Lead Dabang Delhi to Victory Over Kolkata ThunderBlades?

Ahmedabad, June 6 (NationPress) Diya Chitale dominated in her match against Ananya Chande, securing a crucial win that propelled Dabang Delhi TTC to triumph over Kolkata ThunderBlades during Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Friday. Earlier, the defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers triumphed over PBG Pune Jaguars, thanks to impressive performances from the dynamic duo Harmeet Desai and Krittwika Sinha Roy.

The victory allowed Delhi to ascend to the top of the leaderboard, while Goa clinched the second spot following their win.

Organized under the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and supported by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to establish itself as a leading professional league, with all matches broadcast live on Star Sports Khel and Star Sports 2 Tamil, as well as streamed on JioHotstar.

Dabang Delhi TTC and Kolkata ThunderBlades commenced the match with a showdown between two talented youngsters, where Ankur Bhattacharjee maintained his flawless record in UTT Season 6.

The 18-year-old edged past Singapore’s Izaac Quek with a score of 2-1 in a nail-biting contest, clinching the decider on the Golden Point after the two split the initial games. Subsequently, Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz showcased her skills, securing a singles victory of 2-1 against Maria Xiao, putting Kolkata ThunderBlades in an early advantageous position.

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao retaliated for Delhi in the mixed doubles, achieving a polished 2-1 win, keeping their pairing unbeaten this season. However, Kolkata’s Aruna Quadri regained momentum by defeating Sathiyan in a heavyweight contest.

With the match hanging in the balance, Diya displayed remarkable composure, sweeping her match against debutant Ananya Chande 3-0, guiding Delhi to a thrilling 8-7 victory. Kolkata’s Diaz earned the Foreign Player and Shot of the Tie awards, while Diya was honored as the Indian Player of the Tie for her pivotal performance.

In an earlier matchup between Goa Challengers and Pune Jaguars, Goa’s captain Harmeet extended his singles winning streak to three with a tight 2-1 victory over Alvaro Robles, while Krittwika marked her return to the lineup with a 2-1 win over debutant Zion Lee.

The duo of Harmeet and Zeng Jian swept through the mixed doubles, with Zeng later handing Reeth Rishya her first defeat of the season, capping off Goa’s dominant performance. Anirban Ghosh put up a valiant effort for Pune, winning two games for his team. Harmeet and Zeng were named Indian and Foreign Players of the Tie, while Anirban received the Shot of the Tie for a remarkable forehand winner.

In the UTT Juniors, U Mumba TT secured a 6-3 victory over Jaipur Patriots, finishing atop the table with Ananya Muralidharan shining in both singles and doubles.

In the day's opening tie, Divyanshi Bhowmick led Stanley’s Chennai Lions to a narrow 5-4 victory over Ahmedabad SG Pipers. The semifinals are now set: U Mumba will face Jaipur Patriots again, while Dempo Goa Challengers will take on Kolkata ThunderBlades.

Final scores:

Dempo Goa Challengers 10-5 PBG Pune Jaguars

Harmeet Desai bt. Alvaro Robles 2-1 (11-10, 11-9, 10-11)

Krittwika Sinha Roy bt. Zion Lee 2-1 (11-5, 7-11, 11-6)

Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian bt. Anirban Ghosh/Zion Lee 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9)

Tiago Apolonia lost to Anirban Ghosh 1-2 (9-11, 11-8, 7-11)

Zeng Jian bt. Reeth Rishya 2-1 (10-11, 11-7, 11-4)

Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7 Kolkata ThunderBlades

Izaac Quek lost to Ankur Bhattacharjee 1-2 (6-11, 11-6, 10-11)

Maria Xiao lost to Adriana Diaz 1-2 (7-11, 5-11, 11-10)

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao bt. Ankur Bhattacharjee/Adriana Diaz 2-1 (11-7, 11-7, 9-11)

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran lost to Quadri Aruna 1-2 (11-7, 9-11, 6-11)

Diya Chitale bt. Ananya Chande 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-7)