UTT 2025: Dabang Delhi TTC, PBG Pune Jaguars remain unbeaten after winning respective matches

Harmeet Desai won the battle of the captains against G. Sathiyan, but the latter’s team emerged victorious anyway.

Dabang Delhi TTC got redemption for losing in the Season 5 Finale as it took down reigning Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) champion Dempo Goa Challengers 9-6 on Wednesday.

Later in the day, PBG Pune Jaguars joined Delhi as the only two unbeaten teams after two rounds as it comfortably handed Kolkata Thunder Blades, the new franchise in the league, its first defeat with a 10-5 scoreline.

At 6-6, the tie between Delhi and Goa was alive till the final match, but World No.54 Maria Xiao swept past Sayali Wani on the Indian teenager’s debut.

The fixture was evenly poised as the two Singaporeans – Izaac Quek (Delhi) and Zeng Jian (Goa) – won their respective singles matches without dropping a game. The Desai-Zeng combo failed to work again as Sathiyan and Xiao gave Delhi a one-game lead.

Desai has a 1-5 win-loss record against Sathiyan at the international level, but in UTT, the Goa captain stayed 2-1 ahead with a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

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Sathiyan, determined to avenge the loss to Desai in last season’s summit clash, played in his typical aggressive and fast-paced style to clinch the opener. However, a polar opposite Desai quietly went about his business before stealing the second game.

As if the tension inside the stadium wasn’t enough already, the scoreboard stopped working at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad. The decider went on with the chair umpire being the only source of information for the 100-odd spectators.

At 9-9, Sathiyan saw the opportunity and went for the mighty cross-court smash only to see Desai, stationed way behind the table, reply with a forehand winner into the other corner. Desai duly converted his match point, but in the end, his triumph proved insufficient.

PBG Pune Jaguars vs Kolkata Thunder Blades

Contrary to its strategy in its tournament opener, Kolkata opted to field its international stars – World No. 25 Quadri Aruna and World No. 17 Adriana Diaz – in the first two singles.

The move, however, didn’t work as both went down with a 1-2 scoreline.

Alvaro Robles Martinez of PBG Pune Jaguars celebrates his victory against Kolkata Thunder Blades’ Quadri Aruna.
| Photo Credit:
Focus Sports / UTT

All games in Aruna’s match against Alvaro Robles were decided on Golden Points, while Diaz only managed to bag the second game against Dina Meshref with a lopsided scoreline of 11-1.

With another 2-1 loss in mixed doubles, Kolkata was on the brink.

The team’s hopes of an unlikely comeback faded when Ankur Bhattacharjee conceded the third game against Anirban Ghosh after taking a 2-0 lead.