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The second day of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 season saw an exciting clash between Puneri Paltan and the debutants Ahmedabad SG Pipers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Friday, August 23.
While the tie started with Ahmedabad winning the first match, it turned out to be a dominant performance from Puneri Paltan, who went on to register a 10-5 victory in the second tie of Season 5.
A closer look at the results of Tie 2 of UTT 2024: Puneri Paltan vs. Ahmedabad SG Pipers
The tie began with India’s Manush Shah of Ahmedabad SG Pipers going up against Joao Monteiro from Puneri Paltan. The experienced Portuguese paddler comfortably won the first game 11-5.
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However, Shah mounted a comeback in the second game, eventually winning 11-9 to level the match. The deciding game was a thrilling contest, but Shah managed to pull ahead to take the game 11-6, earning Ahmedabad SG Pipers an early 2-1 lead.
In women’s singles, Puneri Paltan’s Ayhika Mukherjee faced off against Bernadette Szocs, the highest-ranked paddler in the league. Mukherjee started strong, storming ahead in the first game to win 11-7. The second game followed a similar trajectory as she outplayed Szocs with an 11-5 victory. The final game saw Mukherjee seal the match 11-6, taking all three points and putting Puneri Paltan in the lead, 4-2.
The third match, a mixed doubles encounter, saw all four paddlers return to action. Ayhika Mukherjee teamed up with Joao Monteiro to take on Manush Shah and Bernadette Szocs.
The duo from Ahmedabad initially looked strong, but Mukherjee and Monteiro came back to win the first game 11-7. Shah and Szocs regrouped in the second game, dominating with an 11-3 win. Building on their momentum, they clinched the final game 11-7, earning two points and closing the gap to just one point behind Puneri Paltan at 5-4.
The fourth match, another men’s singles encounter, saw 17-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee of Puneri Paltan face France’s Lilian Bardet. Bhattacharjee played some fierce shots, and with his enthusiasm on full display, he raced to a 5-1 lead in the first game, eventually winning it 11-8.
His dominance continued as he took the second game 11-5. In the final game, Bhattacharjee surged ahead once again and wrapped up the match with an 11-8 victory, securing three crucial points for his team and sealing the tie for Puneri Paltan.
In the final match, Pune’s Natalia Bajor faced off against Reeth Rishya of the Ahmedabad SG Pipers. Rishya started strong, winning the first game 11-7. However, Bajor bounced back to take the second game 11-8. In the deciding game, Bajor raced ahead and won 11-5, helping Puneri Paltan TT with a 10-5 victory.
Later in the day, the Bengaluru Smashers are set to take on the Chennai Lions in what promises to be another thrilling encounter in UTT 2024.
Complete results of Tie 2 of UTT 2024: Puneri Paltan vs. Ahmedabad SG Pipers
Puneri Paltan TT 10-5 Ahmedabad SG Pipers
Joao Monteiro 1-2 Manush Shah [11-5, 7-11, 6-11]
Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0 Bernadette Szocs [11-7, 11-5, 11-6]
Joao/Ayhika 1-2 Manush/Bernadette [11-7, 3-11, 7-11]
Ankur Bhatacharjee 3-0 Lilian Bardet [11-8,11-5,11-8]
Natalia Bajor 2-1 Reeth Rishya [7-11, 11-8, 11-5]
