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The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 saw yet another thrilling encounter as the Bengaluru Smashers extended their unbeaten streak with a commanding 11-4 victory over the Jaipur Patriots in Tie 11 of the tournament.
The match taking place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, August 29, saw the Bengaluru Smashers power their way to the top of the league standings with an eight-point lead.
The tie began with a men’s singles match between Alvaro Robles and Cho Seung-min. Robles, the captain of the Bengaluru Smashers, displayed exceptional resilience, coming from behind in both the first and second games to win 11-6, 11-7, marking the first defeat for the South Korean in this season’s UTT.
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Although Cho managed to clinch the third game with a golden point at 10-10, Robles had already won the match and helped his team take an early lead.
In the women’s singles, Bengaluru’s Lily Zhang continued the momentum, securing a comprehensive victory over Jaipur Patriots’ Nithyashree Mani. Zhang’s 11-5, 11-10, 11-5 win extended Bengaluru’s lead to 5-1, placing them firmly in control of the tie.
However, Jaipur Patriots managed to pull one back in the mixed doubles match, where Nithyashree and Cho teamed up to defeat Bengaluru’s Anthony Amalraj and Lily Zhang 3-0. The Jaipur duo played some excellent strokes and won some long rallies to take the games with an 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 scoreline and give their team a fighting chance in the tie.
The fourth match saw Jeet Chandra of the Bengaluru Smashers take on Snehit SFR in another men’s singles encounter. Much like his captain, Chandra showed remarkable spirit, coming from behind in the first two games to secure an 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 victory. His performance helped further widen Bengaluru’s lead in the tie and also virtually secure an overall win.
In the final match of the tie, Manika Batra, India’s star paddler, delivered a masterclass against Suthasini Sawettabut. Batra’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, as she won two golden points in the first and third games to complete a clean sweep with scores of 11-10, 11-4, and 11-10. Her victory sealed the deal for the Bengaluru Smashers, who triumphed with an 11-4 scoreline.
With this victory, the PBG Bengaluru Smashers not only secured their spot at the top of the league table but also established an impressive eight-point lead to almost guarantee their chances of making the playoffs.
Friday, August 30, will see a return of the doubleheaders. The Chennai Lions will face U Mumba TT at 17:00, followed by Dabang Delhi TTC taking on Puneri Paltan Table Tennis at 19:30.
Complete results of Tie 11 of UTT 2024: Bengaluru Smashers vs. Jaipur Patriots
Jaipur Patriots 4 - 11 Bengaluru Smashers
Cho Seungmin 1-2 Alvaro Robles [6-11, 7-11, 11-10]
Nithyashree Mani 0-3 Lily Zhang [5-11, 10-11, 6-11]
Nithyashree Mani/Cho Seungmin 3-0 Lily Zhang/Amalraj Antony [11-7, 11-9, 11-9]
Snehit SFR 0-3 Jeet Chandra [8-11, 9-11, 6-11]
Suthasini Sawettabut 0-3 Manika Batra [10-11, 4-11, 10-11]
