UTT 2024 Tie 15: Goa Challengers hand Sharath Kamal's Chennai Lions a 9-6 defeat to take the second spot on the table

The 15th tie of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 between the Goa Challengers and Chennai Lions was a close battle at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. After a marathon of a tie, Goa edged past Chennai 9-6 on Saturday, August 31.

The tie opened with Chennai Lions’ local hero Achanta Sharath Kamal taking on Italy's Mihai Bobocica. Kamal started strong, comfortably winning the first game 11-6. The second game was a nail-biter, with Kamal clinching it on a golden point, 11-10. However, Bobocica managed to pull one back by winning the third game 11-6, earning a valuable point for his team.

In the second match, Chennai Lions’ Sakura Mori extended her team’s lead with a hard-fought win over Yangzi Liu. The match saw some intense rallies, and the encounter ended with all three games having an identical 11-9 scoreline. Mori ultimately won 11-9, 11-9, 9-11. The paddler from Chennai has been in sublime form this season and maintained her unbeaten streak by winning the match and handing Liu her second consecutive defeat of the season.

However, Liu quickly bounced back, joining forces with Harmeet Desai in the mixed doubles. The duo delivered a standout performance, outplaying the pair of Sharath Kamal and Sakura Mori in straight games, 11-9, 11-10, 11-7. This crucial victory swung the momentum in favor of the Goa Challengers, who then took the lead in the tie.

Harmeet Desai, riding high on his mixed doubles success, took to the table again in the fourth match, a men’s singles encounter against the in-form Jules Rolland. Despite dropping the first game 6-11, Desai showcased his class by rallying back to win the next two games 11-7, 11-5, further strengthening the Goa Challengers’ position in the tie.

The final match saw a stunning upset as Goa Challengers’ Yashaswini Ghorpade pulled off an upset, beating veteran Mouma Das. Ghorpade took the first two games 11-5, 11-8 before Das managed to take the third game 11-3. Ghorpade’s win sealed a 9-6 victory for the Goa Challengers and propelled them to the joint second spot on the UTT League table with 29 points. The Chennai Lions currently sit in fourth place with 25 points.

Complete results of Tie 15 of UTT 2024: Chennai Lions vs. Goa Challengers

Chennai Lions 6 - 9 Goa Challengers

Sharath Kamal 2-1 Mihai Bobocica [11-6,11-10,6-11]

Sakura Mori 2-1 Yangzi Liu [11-9, 11-9, 9-11]

Sharath/Sakura 0-3 Harmeet/Yangzi [9-11, 10-11, 7-11]

Jules Rolland 1-2 Harmeet Desai [11-6, 7-11, 5-11]

Mouma Das 1-2 Yashaswini Ghorpade [5-11, 8-11, 11-3]