Indian paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran’s valiant comeback victory over world No. 20 Quadri Aruna proved futile as his Delhi Dabang team succumbed to a 6-9 defeat against U Mumba in the fifth season of Ultimate Table Tennis.
Despite Sathiyan’s historic triumph over Aruna, Delhi Dabang was unable to match the prowess of U Mumba, who relied on the stellar performances of Manav Thakkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee to secure victory at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Sathiyan faced an uphill battle in his season opener, trailing 7-0 against Aruna, the tournament’s top-ranked male player. However, the Indian Olympian displayed resilience, employing a robust defense and powerful smashes to claim the next two games 11-9 each.
Sutirtha Mukherjee restored U Mumba’s advantage in the first women’s singles match, defeating Diya Chitale in straight games. Sathiyan and Orawan Paranag attempted to level the tie in mixed doubles, but they were outplayed by the formidable pairing of Manav Thakkar and Maria Xiao.
Thakkar continued his impressive form in the second men’s singles, swiftly establishing a 2-0 lead over debutant Andreas Levenko. This victory sealed U Mumba’s historic triumph over Dabang Delhi.
Paranag salvaged a point for Delhi Dabang in the second women’s singles, defeating Xiao. The team will now face hosts Chennai Lions, while U Mumba TT will take on Jaipur Patriots on Sunday.
