U Mumba TT Beat PBG Pune Jaguars to Go Top of UTT Season 7 Standings

Defending champions U Mumba TT continued their impressive revival in Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 with a 9-6 victory over Maharashtra rivals PBG Pune Jaguars at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Thursday. The win marked U Mumba's second consecutive triumph, lifting them to the top of the league standings.

After an evenly contested start, U Mumba took firm control of the tie thanks to an outstanding Mixed Doubles performance from skipper Manush Shah and Anna Hursey. French paddler Lilian Bardet then produced a remarkable comeback against Omar Assar, prevailing in a tense Golden Point finish to put the contest beyond Pune's reach.

Organised under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, Butterfly UTT Season 7 brings together 42 players, including 14 Olympians, while continuing its commitment to developing Indian table tennis through elite competition and grassroots initiatives.

The Maharashtra Derby began with PBG Pune Jaguars taking the early advantage. Snehit Suravajjula maintained his unbeaten record this season by recovering from a game down to defeat Manush Shah in the opening Men's Singles clash. U Mumba quickly restored parity as Anna Hursey displayed her composure to edge past Diya Chitale in three games in the Women's Singles.

The turning point came in the Mixed Doubles, where Manush and Hursey delivered a dominant straight-games victory over Snehit Suravajjula and Prithika Pavade, giving U Mumba a valuable lead heading into the remaining matches.

Pune's hopes then rested on Omar Assar, who claimed the opening game against Lilian Bardet. However, the Frenchman fought back brilliantly to level the contest before clinching the deciding game on Golden Point. Assar had earlier produced a sensational around-the-net winner, later recognised as the Bisleri Shot of the Tie, but Bardet kept his composure in the decisive moment to complete the comeback and secure U Mumba's second straight win.

With the overall result already settled, Prithika Pavade ended the evening on a positive note for Pune by defeating Anusha Kutumbale 2-1. The encounter featured the longest rally of the season-a gripping 31-shot exchange in the second game-where Pavade showcased outstanding defensive skills before Anusha eventually made the error. Anusha, however, responded by winning the third game on Golden Point with a superb backhand winner.

Manush Shah was named the Indian Player of the Tie for his all-round contribution, while Anna Hursey received both the Foreign Player of the Tie and the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie honours.

Earlier in the Dream UTT Juniors competition, Dabang Delhi TTC kept their semifinal hopes alive with a narrow 5-4 victory over UP Prometheans, although UP remained in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs. Ahmedabad APL Pipers also finished their campaign with a 5-4 win against PBG Pune Jaguars, but both teams were already out of semifinal contention.

Butterfly UTT Season 7 is being broadcast live on Star Sports Khel (Hindi), Star Sports Tamil 2 HD and Star Sports Tamil 3 HD, with live streaming available on JioHotstar in Hindi, Tamil and English.

Final Score

U Mumba TT 9-6 PBG Pune Jaguars

Manush Shah lost to Snehit Suravajjula 1-2 (11-6, 9-11, 6-11)

Anna Hursey beat Diya Chitale 2-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-6)

Manush Shah/Anna Hursey beat Snehit Suravajjula/Prithika Pavade 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-7)

Lilian Bardet beat Omar Assar 2-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-10)

Anusha Kutumbale lost to Prithika Pavade 1-2 (8-11, 10-11, 11-10)