Ultimate Table Tennis 2019: Manav does the star turn for U Mumba against RP-SG Mavericks Kolkata

New Delhi, Aug 1: India's rising table tennis star Manav Thakkar pulled U Mumba from the brink to give his side a thrilling 9-6 victory in the Ultimate Table Tennis here on Thursday (August 1).

Down 2-4 after the first two matches, the Women's Singles and the Men's Singles, Manav and World No.11 Doo Hoi Kem clinched 3 points against RP-SG Mavericks Kolkata to set up his side's second win in the tournament.

UTT 2019 Special Coverage

Even in this match, the Mixed Doubles, they were trailing 0-7 in the first set. But a series of attacking shots from Manav got them going, turning the tide and giving them a golden point set.

In the next two sets, they were right on top, stunning Sanil Shetty & Matilda Ekholm 11-6, 11-7 into submission.

Manav was in his elements in the crucial reverse Men's Singles too, getting the better of Sanil Shetty 2-1.

U Mumba needed just one point going into the final match. But Sutirtha Mukherjee did one better, surprising Manika Batra 2-1 to give her side a massive win.

Earlier, RP-SG began on a positive note with Sweden's Matilda, shocking Hong Kong's Doo Hoi Kem 2-1. Matilda dominated the first set, easily winning it 11-5. World No. 12 Hoi Kem played to her potential in the next for a dominant 11-3 win.

The two matches shot for shot in the decider, before Matilda outwitted Hoi Kem 11-8.

In the Men's Singles encounter, German paddler Benedikt Duda consolidated RP-SG's score, acing a crucial golden point win over Kirill Gerassimenko in the first set.

In the second, however, he failed to make the best of a 7-3 advantage and ended up losing on golden point. Duda went on to win the final set 11-7 to make it 4-2 for RP-SG.

Manav entered the fray, realising that everything rested on his slender shoulders. He was at the top of his game in both, the Mixed Doubles and the return Men's Singles, which was enough for U Mumba to clinch the tie.

RESULTS:

U Mumba TT beat RP-SG Mavericks Kolkata 9-6

Women's Singles: Doo Hoi Kem lost to Matilda Ekholm 1-2 (5-11, 11-3, 8-11)

Men's Singles: Kirill Gerassimenko lost to Benedikt Duda 1-2 (10-11, 11-10, 7-11)

Mixed Doubles: Manav Thakkar/ Doo Hoi Kem bt Sanil Shetty/ Matilda Ekholm 3-0 (11-10, 11-6, 11-7)

Men's Singles: Manav Thakkar bt Sanil Shetty 2-1 (11-8, 11-9, 10-11)

Women's Singles: Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Manika Batra 2-1 (11-7, 11-7, 1-11)

Friday's fixture: Dabang Deljhi TTC vs Goa Challengers 7 pm on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Hotstar, JioTV

Source: Media Release