The Athlead Goa Challengers kicked off their title defence in style at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, defeating the Jaipur Patriots 9-6 in the season opener of the fifth edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis.
For the Patriots, one of the two new teams in the league, the match was a bittersweet start. World No. 146 Cho Seungmin faced off against the Challengers’ Harmeet, who won his second Nationals crown last year.
Although Harmeet easily won the first game 11-2 with strong forehand strokes, the contest was far from over. Whether it was Cho Seungmin’s muttering under his breath or the coach’s intervention, something clicked for the South Korean. Harmeet couldn’t win a single point on serve in the second game, losing 11-1. Seungmin, making his UTT debut, then stepped up his game in the third, winning 11-5 with an unorthodox pendulum half-long service that unsettled Harmeet.
Next, Yangzi Liu, who hadn’t lost a match in season four, continued her winning streak without breaking a sweat as Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut fell 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-4).
Suthasini, known for her fast-paced forehand drives, was silenced early as the Australian, ranked 34th in the world, kept her shots near the baseline corners. In the second game, it briefly seemed like Suthasini, a three-time Olympian, might find some footing, but she dropped five consecutive points after being tied at 4-all.
The mixed doubles clash was also a tight battle. Suthasini and Ronit Bhanja narrowly avoided a shutout in the first game, losing 11-1 to Harmeet and Liu.
However, that was only half the story.
The Patriots staged a comeback in the second game, heading into the break with a 5-2 lead. Their nimble footwork and precise placement earned them a 11-6 victory.
The third game was more evenly matched, with Liu making a few mistakes. Suthasini even managed to throw Liu off balance with a sudden change of pace on a short underspin at one point. But in the end, the Challengers secured the crucial points to claim a 2-1 victory.
The second men’s singles match proved decisive as Bhanja’s soft touch caused Mihai Bobocica to lose crucial points in his UTT debut. The Indian paddler won 90% of his points on serve in the first game.
Though down but not out, Bobocica relied on his topspin in the second game to take a 5-3 lead at the break. He maintained his form to win 11-7. With only one game needed for the Challengers to seal the victory, Bobocica confidently smashed his way to an 8-4 lead for the defending champions.
The final match, a mere formality, saw local debutant Nithyashree Mani of the Patriots claim the golden point in the first game. She went on to record an upset, defeating the stronger Yashaswini Ghorpade 11-10, 5-11, 11-7.
Although this wasn’t the start the Patriots hoped for, the silver linings offer reasons for optimism in the days ahead.
