Diya surprises Manika, but PBG Bengaluru Smashers advance to the semifinals despite a 7-8 defeat to Dabang Delhi TTC
Chennai, September 2: Diya Chitale delivered a major upset against World No. 26 Manika Batra as Dabang Delhi TTC made a dramatic comeback to defeat PBG Bengaluru Smashers 8-7 in a thrilling UTT 2024 match at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Despite a strong start by PBG Bengaluru Smashers, who led 7-1, Dabang Delhi TTC staged an incredible comeback by winning seven consecutive games. Diya Chitale was pivotal in this turnaround, defeating Manika Batra 3-0 (11-6, 11-10, 11-8).
PBG Bengaluru Smashers, despite suffering their first loss of the season, secured a spot in the knockouts as the first team with 48 points after five matches. Dabang Delhi TTC remains in second place with 41 points.
PBG Bengaluru Smashers began strongly with Alvaro Robles defeating Yashansh Malik 3-0 (11-3, 11-10, 11-5) in the first men’s singles and Lily Zhang continuing her unbeaten streak by outplaying Orawan Paranang 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7) in the first women’s singles.
However, the tide turned when Orawan and G Sathiyan defeated the pair of Manika and Alvaro Robles 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8) in the mixed doubles. Sathiyan then defeated Jeet Chandra 3-0 (11-10, 11-6, 11-5), setting up Diya Chitale’s decisive match against Manika.
In another match, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis secured a 9-6 victory over Jaipur Patriots, reviving their chances for a knockout spot. Puneri Paltan now holds the fourth position with 28 points, while Jaipur Patriots are in fifth place with 25 points.
The match highlights include Ankur Bhattacharjee's win over Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-8) and Natalia Bajor’s crucial wins for Puneri Paltan. The results from the Puneri Paltan vs. Jaipur Patriots match are as follows:
- Ankur Bhattacharjee defeated Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-8)
- Suthasini Sawettabut overcame Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-7)
- Natalia Bajor and Anirban Ghosh beat Nithyashree Mani and Cho Seungmin 2-1 (11-10, 7-11, 11-9)
- Joao Monteiro won against Cho Seungmin 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-7)
- Natalia Bajor defeated Nithyashree Mani 2-1 (11-8, 7-11, 11-6)