UTT 2025: Goa Challengers begins title defence with win over home side Ahmedabad SG Pipers

The Ultimate Table Tennis league made its Ahmedabad debut on Saturday and fittingly, it was Gujarat-lad Harmeet Desai and his wife Krittwika Roy who came up with performances to remember.

In the second tie of the Season 6’s opening day, Desai’s Goa Challengers began its title defence with a 10-5 victory over home side Ahmedabad SG Pipers in front of 500-odd spectators at the EKA Arena.

Roy, who had joined Ahmedabad mid-way through last year’s tournament as a replacement for Pritha Vartikar, was picked by Goa at UTT’s first-ever auction in April. Interestingly, Ayhika Mukherjee, her opponent, replaced an injured Manika Batra at Ahmedabad this time.

Mukherjee began the first game with a 5-0 lead and clinched it 11-4 comfortably. A streak for a streak – Roy won the first seven points of the second game, which she grabbed 11-8.

In a closely-fought decider, Roy came from 8-9 down to beat Mukherjee.

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Like Roy, Desai too lost his opening game – against Ricardo Walther, the World No. 34 from Germany. But not only did the Indian save three match points from 8-10 down in the second but he also equalled Roy’s seven-point winning streak from 4-3 in the decider.

In the tournament opener, Dabang Delhi T.T.C. steamrolled Jaipur Patriots 11-4 as G. Sathiyan didn’t drop a game in his mixed doubles match, pairing up with Maria Xiao, as well as his singles rubber.

The opening day witnessed six Golden Points, setting the tone for what promises to be a tight contest for the trophy.