U Mumba TT makes winning start in IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4

Manav Thakkar won two matches in a tie that went down to the wire

Pune, July 14, 2023: U Mumba TT staged a stunning comeback to make a winning start in the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 as they beat Bengaluru Smashers in a tie that went down to the wire at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi in Pune on Friday. 

The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), has been a game-changer for Indian table tennis since its inception in 2017 and will look to achieve success in its fourth season as well.

U Mumba TT defeated Bengaluru Smashers by 10-5 team points in an exciting tie of the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4, powered by DafaNews.

In the first match of the tie (Men's Singles), World No.58 Kirill Gerassimenko upset World No. 18 Quadri Aruna by 2-1 to gain two crucial team points for his franchise. The Bengaluru paddler began the match with positive intent and played some precise shots to defeat Quadri by 11-3, 9-11, 11-8 in a thrilling contest.

Manika Batra played the second match of the tie (Women's Singles). She beat Diya Chitale 2-1 to extend her franchise's lead by 4-2 in the tie. The World No. 35 was in top gear from the start of the match and won it by 11-10, 7-11, 11-6 with her aggressive and creative net play.

U Mumba TT made a comeback in the third match of the tie (Mixed Doubles) as the pair of Manav Thakkar and Lily Zhang defeated  Manika and Kirill by 2-1 (11-10, 10-11, 11-6) to reduce Bengaluru Smashers' lead to 5-4.

Manav continued his top form in the fourth match of the tie (Men's Singles) as he produced a scintillating performance against Sanil Shetty. He brushed Sanil aside by 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-7) to bring U Mumba TT into the lead by 7-5 for the first time in the tie. 

In the last match of the tie, Lily Zhang blanked Natalia Bajor by 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4) to give U Mumba TT a stunning victory. 

All the Season 4 ties will start at 7.30 PM with broadcast on Sports 18 and streamed on JioCinema. The tickets will be available on BookMyShow.

The results:

Bengaluru Smashers vs U Mumba TT: 5-10

Kirill Gerassimenko 2-1 Quadri Aruna (11-3, 9-11, 11-8)

Manika Batra 2-1 Diya Chitale (11-10, 7-11, 11-6)

Kirill/Manika 1-2 Manav/Lily (10-11, 11-10, 6-11)

Sanil Shetty 0-3 Manav Thakkar (8-11, 3-11, 7-11)

Natalia Bajor 0-3 Lily Zhang (6-11, 5-11, 4-11)