UTT 2025: Thunder Blades pips Lions by solitary point, Mumba edge Pipers
Beginner’s luck or a well-planned strategic move? Kolkata Thunder Blades’ decision to field Indian players in the first two singles worked wonders as the side defeated former champion Chennai Lions 8-7 in a thriller in its Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) debut on Monday.
Thunder Blades’ paddlers, clad in baby blue kits, made their way into the EKA Arena with approximately 300 seated spectators, including the team owners, Ketan Jain and Rajat Kumar, cheering loudly to the beats of the dhol arranged by team director Anshul Garg.
The Kolkata franchise had World No. 25 Quadri Aruna of Nigeria, a four-time Olympian, in its lineup, but it chose to go with Ankur Bhattacharjee for the opening men’s singles.
Ankur was the find of Season 5, not just for his style of play but also for his celebrations. Both facets were on display as the Indian swept World No. 55 Kirill Gerassimenko of Kazakhstan to give his team the perfect start.
Whether it was pointing towards his head, the back of his paddle or wristwatch, Ankur made sure he kept serving new celebrations. He won 18 points on serve, compared to Gerassimenko’s 13.
With her side needing a comeback, Fan Siqi justified Sharath Kamal’s and Chennai Lions’ decision to break the bank for her at the auction.
World No. 36 Fan, the first Chinese star to feature in UTT since the inaugural season in 2017, raced to a 5-0 lead against Selena Selvakumar in the opener.
Fan played with a slightly cautious approach and did not look to impart a lot of spin on the ball. It allowed Selena, the reigning National Games gold medallist, to make some inroads and take the second game to the Golden Point. However, the Chinese, who was World No. 11 in 2023, came up with a clutch inside-out forehand, cramping the Indian for space.
Ankur and Adriana Diaz, the Puerto Rican star returning to UTT after her debut appearance with Delhi in 2018, lost the mixed doubles to Fan and Payas Jain but clinched the third game which proved to be the difference.
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In the second men’s singles, Payas initially struggled to keep up with Aruna’s racquet speed. The big Nigerian even lost his balance a couple of times but didn’t compromise on unleashing his massive forehand with an unusually prolonged follow-through whenever he got the chance.
Fan Siqi and Payas Jain of Stanley’s Chennai Lions won the men’s doubles.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Fan Siqi and Payas Jain of Stanley’s Chennai Lions won the men’s doubles.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Payas found his footing in the second game as he used half-long serves to counter Aruna’s tendency for swinging big early into the rally.
But the 36-year-old Aruna managed to edge his opponent, 16 years junior, in a close decider.
With the tie score 6-6, Poymantee Baisya had to make it past World No. 17 Diaz to handle Chennai Lions the victory.
Poymantee, who joined the team in yellow as a replacement for Jennifer Varghese, kept the tie alive till the final game but Diaz, a three-time Olympian, dashed her hopes of a miracle.
In the second match of the day between U Mumba and Ahmedabad SG Pipers – two teams who lost their tournament openers – the former triumphed 10-5.
RESULTS
Kolkata Thunder Blades 8-7 Chennai Lions
Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. Kirill Gerassimenko 3-0 (11-4, 11-10, 11-7)
Selena Selvakumar lost 0-3 (8-11, 10-11, 6-11) to Fan Siqi
Ankur Bhattacharjee / Adriana Diaz lost 1-2 (6-11, 4-11, 11-8) to Payas Jain/Fan Siqi
Quadri Aruna bt. Payas Jain 2-1 (11-3, 8-11, 11-9)
Adriana Diaz bt. Poymantee Baisya 2-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-6)
U Mumba 10-5 Ahmedabad SG Pipers
Lilian Bardet bt. Snehit Suravajjula 2-1 (11-4, 11-9, 4-11)
Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-4)
Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Ricardo Walther/Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (11-4, 10-11, 11-6)
Akash Pal lost 1-2 (11-8, 6-11, 5-11) to Ricardo Walther
Bernadette Szocs bt. Giorgia Piccolin 3-0 (11-4,11-10, 11-9)