UTT 2025: Yashaswini helps U Mumba reach maiden final after ousting former side Goa Challengers

Two-time defending champion Dempo Goa Challengers was two points away from reaching the final of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday when two youngsters from U Mumba stepped up, almost personifying the adage ‘It’s not over till it’s over’.

Yashaswini Ghorpade had to blank Krittwika Roy in the second reverse singles to complete an incredible 8-7 come-from-behind victory for the Mumbai-based franchise against her former team.

The 20-year-old Ghorpade, who plays with long pimples on the backhand, trailed 8-9 in the opener and almost squandered a 9-6 lead in the second. The youngster seemed to have sealed the deal when she was up 10-6 in the decider but Roy, with some grit and a bit of luck from the net saved all four tie points.

However, on the Golden Point, a backhand from Roy sailed long, confirming a fairytale ending for U Mumba, which reached its first-ever UTT final where it will face Jaipur Patriots on Sunday. Moments later, Ghorpade was mobbed by her teammates and coaches while the 500-odd spectators at the EKA Arena could barely believe what had transpired.

She would not have even gotten the chance to play in the first place.

Earlier, Challengers skipper Harmeet Desai showed his class as he took down Frenchman Lilian Bardet 3-0 in the opening singles. Bardet was unable to tackle the Indian’s deceptive style as he threw his headband in frustration midway through the second game.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

P.B. Abhinandh, the 17-year-old who shocked Dabang Delhi TTC’s Izaac Quek on his UTT debut on Thursday, was down 6-9 against Vitor Ishiy in the third game. The Brazilian, who joined the Challengers as a replacement for Tiago Apolonia, dominated a nervous Abhinandh as the boy from Chennai could barely keep the ball in play for the first two games. But in the third, he came up with two clutch backhand blocks down the line before Vitor committed a service error. With the momentum on his side, the teen clinched the third and kept his side in the tie.

Earlier, Challengers skipper Harmeet Desai showed his class as he took down Frenchman Lilian Bardet 3-0 in the opening singles. Bardet was unable to tackle the Indian’s deceptive style as he threw his headband in frustration midway through the second game.

U Mumba skipper Bernadette Szocs brought her side back in the semifinal by ending the unbeaten streak of Zeng Jian. Zeng struggled to handle the variations in the Romanian World No. 12 Szocs’ tomahawk serve for the longest time. Coach Elena Timina’s encouragement after every point eventually helped the Singaporean bag the third game after conceding the first two.

Akash Pal proved his effectiveness as a doubles specialist yet again. The Indian was the best player amongst the four players around the table. With his precise footwork, Pal troubled the Zeng-Desai pair on multiple occasions, especially when the Challengers duo must have thought that the point was over. Pal and Szocs won a tight mixed doubles fixture, reducing the Challengers’ lead to one point before Abhinandh and Ghorpade turned the tide.