Can Yashaswini Ghorpade's Stunning Victory Over Fan Siqi Change the Course of UTT Season 6?

Ahmedabad, June 8 (NationPress) Yashaswini Ghorpade, a 20-year-old sensation from India, achieved a remarkable upset in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 by becoming the first player to defeat China's Fan Siqi this season. This victory was crucial for U Mumba TT, who triumphed over Stanley's Chennai Lions with a score of 9-6 on Saturday. In an earlier match, Jeet Chandra stunned World No. 34 Ricardo Walther from Germany, leading the Jaipur Patriots to an impressive 11-4 win against Ahmedabad SG Pipers.

Lilian Bardet from U Mumba continued his excellent form by defeating Kirill Gerassimenko with a score of 2-1, setting the stage for his team. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the fearless performance of 20-year-old Yashaswini, who faced off against the previously unbeaten Fan Siqi. After dominating the first game 11-5, Yashaswini found herself trailing 2-7 and later 8-10 in the third game. However, she made a stunning comeback, winning three consecutive points to clinch the game 11-10 on the Golden Point, delivering Fan her first defeat of the season.

The momentum carried on as Akash Pal and Bernadette Szocs secured a 2-1 victory in the mixed doubles, although Payas Jain leveled the match for Chennai Lions by defeating Akash 3-0 in the following rubber. Szocs then showcased her skills with a flawless 3-0 win against Poymantee Baisya, ultimately sealing the tie for U Mumba, which climbed to second in the table. Payas Jain was awarded the Indian Player of the Tie, while Szocs earned the Foreign Player of the Tie accolade. Yashaswini was also recognized with the Shot of the Tie award.

Earlier in the day, Jeet Chandra led his team with a significant performance, helping the Jaipur Patriots to defeat Ahmedabad SG Pipers 11-4, which took them to the top of the table. Jeet's victory over World Championships silver medalist Ricardo Walther was particularly impressive, as he managed to secure a 2-1 win in singles, marking one of his most significant achievements in UTT.

Jaipur started strongly with Kanak Jha overcoming a challenging debut from Divyansh Srivastava, while Britt Eerland achieved a 3-0 victory over Giorgia Piccolin. While Ahmedabad responded with wins in the mixed doubles through Walther and Ayhika Mukherjee, the Jaipur team maintained control, with Sreeja Akula wrapping up the tie with a comeback win over Ayhika. Jeet earned both Indian Player and Shot of the Tie honors, while Eerland was named the Foreign Player of the Tie.

In the UTT Juniors, both U Mumba TT and Kolkata ThunderBlades advanced to the finals after solid semifinal victories. Prateek Tulsani and Ananya Muralidharan shone for U Mumba in a 5-2 win against the Jaipur Patriots, achieving a dominant doubles sweep to secure their spot.

Meanwhile, Kolkata's Ritvik Gupta and Swara Karmakar delivered a convincing 5-3 victory over Dempo Goa Challengers, winning both their singles matches and contributing critical points in doubles.

Final Scores:

Jaipur Patriots 11-4 Ahmedabad SG Pipers

Kanak Jha bt. Divyansh Srivastava 3-0 (11-10, 11-8, 11-6)

Britt Eerland bt. Giorgia Piccolin 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-10)

Jeet Chandra/Britt Eerland lost to Ricardo Walther/Ayhika Mukherjee 1-2 (8-11, 11-9, 7-11)

Jeet Chandra bt. Ricardo Walther 2-1 (11-10, 9-11, 11-9)

Sreeja Akula bt. Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-6)

U Mumba TT 9-6 Stanley's Chennai Lions

Lilian Bardet bt. Kirill Gerassimenko 2-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-3)

Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Fan Siqi 2-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-10)

Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Payas Jain/Fan Siqi 2-1 (11-4, 11-3, 8-11)

Akash Pal lost to Payas Jain 0-3 (5-11, 8-11, 4-11)

Bernadette Szocs bt. Poymantee Baisya 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-3)