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NDTV
19 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
This Tennis Legend Keeps Ultimate Table Tennis Star Yashaswini Ghorpade Going. Not Sania Mirza
The Ultimate Table Tennis wrote a new chapter on the conclusion of its sixth edition as the tournament found a new winner. U Mumba gave a dominating performance and defeated Jaipur Patriots in the grand finale on June 15 in Ahmedabad and clinched their maiden UTT title. The entire Mumbai team performed like a single unit and did not even let Jaipur take a sigh of relief even for once during the match. With this performance, U Mumba etched their name in the history books of UTT. Although Yashaswini Ghorpade didn't feature in the final, her standout semi-final display epitomised U Mumba's collective strength this season. In the semis against Dempo Goa Challengers, U Mumba needed three victories in all the remaining three matches, in order to reach the final. However, Yashaswini held her nerves and defeated Krittwika Sinha Roy in the women's singles clash and took her side into the final. The 20-year-old played her first UTT season in 2024 with the Goa Challengers and went on to lift the title with them. In 2025, she was roped in by the U Mumba and surprisingly, she clinched the title again. Speaking to the media before the final, Yashaswini revealed that before the season, she was going through some tough time but she gathered herself back and gave an exemplary performance. "Last two-three months were quite difficult for me. Before this season, I was a bit down but things changed when I came here. It is amazing to be around many champion players and the team environment always lifts me up," said Yashaswini. While replying to a query from NDTV, Yashaswini also stated that tennis legend Roger Federer is her biggest motivation. "Roger Federer is my biggest motivation. I always sees his matches and even his workout and fitness routines to keep myself going. He is the biggest inspiration and I also want to achieve something like that," she said. Talking about the grand finale, wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
UTT 6: U Mumba Beat Dempo Goa Challengers To Set Up Summit Clash Against Jaipur Patriots
U Mumba TT staged a dramatic comeback to defeat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers in the second semifinal and reach their maiden Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) final in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Trailing 4-7, U Mumba won the final four games to clinch 8-7 victory. U Mumba will play Jaipur Patriots in the Grand Finale on Sunday, guaranteeing a new UTT champion. Yashaswini Ghorpade rose to the occasion, winning back-to-back games before clinching the decider 11–10 in a nerve-wracking finish. Harmeet Desai gave Dempo Goa Challengers a strong start with a composed 3-0 win over Lilian Bardet, sealing the third game on Golden Point after Bardet had rallied from 2-6 down. But U Mumba TT hit back through Bernadette Szocs, who handed Zeng Jian her first defeat of the season. Szocs took the first two games with sharp counterplay before Zeng salvaged the third 11-7. In mixed doubles, U Mumba struck back as Akash Pal and Szocs recovered from 3-6 deficit to seal games one and three, winning their rubber 2-1. That victory trimmed Goa's lead to a slender 5-4 heading into the remaining matches. Vitor Ishiy nearly sealed the tie for Dempo Goa Challengers, racing through the first two games against Abhinandh PB with scores of 11-6 and 11-4. But Abhinandh refused to let U Mumba's campaign end quietly. Down 6-9 in the third, he clawed back with four consecutive points to snatch the game 11-9, keeping his side in the hunt heading into the final match. Yashaswini grabbed the opportunity with both hands thereon, defeating Krittwika Sinha Roy across three close games to propel U Mumba to their maiden UTT final. For her efforts, Yashaswini won both the Indian Player of the Tie and the Shot of the Tie awards, while Szocs claimed the Foreign Player of the Tie honour.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Harmeet supports wife Krittwika to the hilt after heartbreaking loss
Krittwika Sinha Roy had to win only one of the three games against Yashaswini Ghorpade to make it a hat-trick of Ultimate Table Tennis final appearance for Dempo Goa Challengers. After losing the first two games, she trailed 10-6 in the third. Krittwika then staged a superb turnaround, supported by a couple of lucky net-calls, she saved four match-points and enforced the golden point. But when she hit a backhand top-spin long, it resulted in agony and ecstasy — the two siblings in a sporting arena — being experienced at the EKA Arena on Saturday night. While Yashaswini was surrounded by her U Mumba TT teammates and management for completing a thrilling comeback, Krittwika was inconsolable — with all her teammates trying to calm her down. It was at this very moment that Harmeet Desai had to switch from the role of Goa Challengers' captain into a caring husband to wipe her tears. Minutes later, though, Harmeet, the pro, was on display. 'She is bound to feel it but I just had to remind her that had it not been for her contribution, we would have possibly not been in the semifinals. Despite not playing all the matches, she won us six crucial points, including the win over Fan Siqi,' Harmeet said. Krittwika's 0-3 loss in the fifth and final rubber was the exact reversal of the 3-0 scoreline that Harmeet started the semifinal with, by rolling over Frenchman Lilian Bardet. The loss also ended Goa Challengers' quest of registering a hat-trick of UTT titles. But Harmeet reminded everyone that he and his teammates had every reason to hold their head high. 'I am extremely proud of the way we have fought and conquered various hurdles in UTT 2025,' Harmeet said. 'After the auction, many would have thought ours wasn't the best team on paper. I am glad that we managed to prove everyone wrong and came within a point of being in another final. It wasn't to be, but we will come back stronger next year.'
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Reigning Champions Dempo Goa Challengers face resolute U Mumba TT in semi-final 2
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers will be eyeing a third-straight final appearance when they take on a resolute U Mumba TT in the second semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday, as per a release. Back-to-back champions and the only team to have won two UTT titles, Goa finished second in the table with three tie wins and 44 points. U Mumba, who last made the playoffs in Season 3, return to the knockouts after finishing third with two points fewer. The winner of this tie will face first-time finalists Jaipur Patriots in the Grand Finale on Sunday. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena, with tickets available only on BookMyShow. Dempo Goa Challengers have alternated wins and losses throughout the league stage but remain a powerhouse led by Harmeet Desai and the dominant Zeng Jian, who won all five of her matches and dropped just one game across the league phase. Zeng also played a key role in the mixed doubles, partnering Harmeet for two important wins. Harmeet himself has been consistent with four wins from five, while Krittwika Sinha Roy has quietly impressed, winning three of her four matches, including a memorable victory over China's Fan Siqi. Brazil's Vitor Ishiy, brought in as a late replacement for Tiago Apolonia, began his UTT campaign with a win. U Mumba, meanwhile, come in with momentum firmly on their side after back-to-back tie wins. Their foreign unit has clicked into gear with Bernadette Szocs and Lilian Bardet each winning four of their last five singles rubbers. Indian youngster Yashaswini Ghorpade has continued her impressive season, notching three wins from four, while Abhinandh PB turned heads in his first appearance, taking down Singapore's Izaac Quek, one of the league's top foreign paddlers. The Szocs-Akash Pal pairing has also delivered in mixed doubles, winning three out of five. Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba did not meet in the league stage, making this their first clash of the season. With both squads stacked with in-form players, the semi-final promises fresh, high-stakes matchups as they battle for a place in the final. Squads Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Vitor Ishiy (Brazil), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani U Mumba: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB. (ANI)
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: U Mumba reach final after incredible comeback win over Dempo Goa Challengers
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 15 (ANI): U Mumba TT staged a dramatic comeback to defeat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers in the second semi-final of IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday. Trailing 4-7, U Mumba won the final four games to clinch an 8-7 victory and book their first-ever spot in the Grand Finale, as per UTT press release. With Goa just one game away from the final and U Mumba needing a clean sweep in the last rubber, Yashaswini Ghorpade rose to the occasion, winning back-to-back games before clinching the decider 11-10 in a nerve-wracking finish. U Mumba now face Jaipur Patriots on Sunday, June 15, guaranteeing a new name on the UTT champions list. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, are taking place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. Harmeet Desai gave Dempo Goa Challengers a strong start with a composed 3-0 win over Lilian Bardet, sealing the third game on Golden Point after Bardet had rallied from 2-6 down. But U Mumba TT hit back through Bernadette Szocs, who handed Zeng Jian her first defeat of the season. Szocs took the first two games with sharp counterplay before Zeng salvaged the third 11-7. In mixed doubles, U Mumba struck back as Akash Pal and Szocs sprang from a 3-6 deficit to seal games one and three, winning their rubber 2-1. That victory trimmed Goa's lead to a slender 5-4 heading into the remaining matches. Vitor Ishiy nearly sealed the tie for Dempo Goa Challengers, racing through the first two games against Abhinandh PB with scores of 11-6 and 11-4. But Abhinandh refused to let U Mumba's campaign end quietly. Down 6-9 in the third, he clawed back with four consecutive points to snatch the game 11-9, keeping his side in the hunt heading into the final match. Yashaswini grabbed the opportunity with both hands thereon, defeating Krittwika Sinha Roy across three close games to propel U Mumba to their maiden UTT final. For her efforts, Yashaswini won both the Indian Player of the Tie and the Shot of the Tie awards, while Szocs claimed the Foreign Player of the Tie honour. Final Scores U Mumba TT 8-7 Dempo Goa Challengers Lilian Bardet lost to Harmeet Desai 0-3 (8-11, 4-11, 10-11) Bernadette Szocs bt. Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-5, 11-9, 7-11) Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9) Abhinandh PB lost to Vitor Ishiy 1-2 (6-11, 4-11, 11-9)Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-10). (ANI)
