UTT season 7: Kolkata edge U Mumba in thriller as both teams seal semis spot

Kolkata Thunder Blades booked their place in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 semi-finals after edging defending champions U Mumba TT 8-7 in a dramatic league clash at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

The victory ended U Mumba's winning run in the tournament, but the defending champions also progressed to the last four, with their superior game count ensuring qualification alongside Kolkata and league leaders Dempo Goa Challengers. With two league matches remaining, only one semi-final spot is still up for grabs.

Kolkata laid the foundation for victory through Eduard Ionescu, who bounced back after dropping the opening game to defeat Manush Shah. The momentum swung further in Kolkata's favour when youngster Taneesha Kotecha produced one of the biggest upsets of the season, handing previously unbeaten Anna Hursey her first defeat with a dominant straight-games victory.

U Mumba responded in the mixed doubles as Shah and Hursey recovered from losing the opening game to overcome Ankur Bhattacharjee and Taneesha, reducing the deficit and keeping the tie alive.

French paddler Lilian Bardet then outlasted Ankur in another closely fought contest to bring U Mumba within striking distance before Nithyashree Mani levelled the overall tie at 7-7. The Indian paddler defeated Zeng Jian in the opening two games of the women's singles, ensuring the outcome would be decided by the final game of the evening.

With the pressure mounting, Jian produced when it mattered most. The Chinese paddler dominated the decider 11-5 to seal the match for Kolkata and spark celebrations as both teams confirmed their places in the knockout stage.

Taneesha was named the Indian Player of the Tie after her impressive win over Hursey, while Bardet claimed both the MatchIQ Player and Foreign Player of the Tie awards. Ankur Bhattacharjee took home the Shot of the Tie honour.

Final Score

HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 8-7 U Mumba TT

• Eduard Ionescu bt Manush Shah 2-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-7)
• Taneesha Kotecha bt Anna Hursey 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-4)
• Ankur Bhattacharjee/Taneesha Kotecha lost to Manush Shah/Anna Hursey 1-2 (11-8, 4-11, 7-11)
• Ankur Bhattacharjee lost to Lilian Bardet 1-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-6)
• Zeng Jian lost to Nithyashree Mani 1-2 (10-11, 5-11, 11-5)