UTT 2019 | Collective display saw U Mumba beat Puneri Paltan 9-6
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U Mumba saw all of their paddlers doing well as they edged past Puneri Paltan 9-6 and in the process move to the top of the table in the Ultimate Table Tennis League on Saturday. Mumba’s only defeat came in the mixed doubles event where the pair of Manav Thakkar and Hoi Kem lost.
Sutirtha Mukherjee was the one to start the streak for Mumba as she defeated Ayhika Mukherjee 11-7, 6-11, 11-5 with some aggressive play and put U Mumba ahead early in the tie. Thakkar then followed that up with an 11-6, 11-8 win against the experienced Harmeet Desai in the men's singles.
U Mumba were already 5-1 up before the Pirates showed any signs of a comeback as the mixed doubles pair of Manav-Hoi Kem lost to Chih-Yuan-Ayhika Mukherjee. Chih-Yuan was up to the task and created nice angles to work to clinch the first set 11-5 and the second one 11-6.
However, Kirill Gerassimenko from Kazakhstan was determined in the reverse men’s singles against Yuan and emerged victorious to set up a winning chance for world No 11 Hoi Kem that she wrapped up the tie in the first set itself.
Mumba are at the top with 33 points now with Goa Challengers and Chennai Lions following them with 26 and 24 points respectively.
