U Mumba TT storms into Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 final
Captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey produced unbeaten performances as defending champions U Mumba TT defeated HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades 8-3 to enter the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 final, where they will face unbeaten league leaders Dempo Goa Challengers
Hyderabad: Captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey starred as defending champions U Mumba TT booked their place in the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7, powered by ChatGPT, final with a commanding 8-3 victory over HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades in the second semi-final in Goa on Saturday.
The pair combined to deliver an unbeaten performance in the mixed doubles, setting up a title clash against unbeaten league leaders Dempo Goa Challengers.
Hursey contested six games across the women’s singles and mixed doubles, winning five, while captain Manush remained flawless, winning all five games he played across his two matches. The result brings the season full circle, with the final set to be a repeat of the tournament opener between Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba TT.
Kolkata made the brighter start as Romanian international Eduard Ionescu edged Lilian Bardet in a hard-fought three-game contest. Ionescu claimed the opening two games 11-9 and 11-10 before Bardet pulled one back, handing the ThunderBlades an early 2-1 advantage.
Hursey, however, quickly restored parity for the defending champions with a composed victory over Ayhika Mukherjee. The Welshwoman won the opening two games before Ayhika claimed the third, leaving the tie level at 3-3 heading into the pivotal mixed doubles.
From there, U Mumba seized complete control. Manush and Hursey overwhelmed Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika in straight games for their fifth consecutive mixed doubles victory, conceding just 14 points across the final two games to hand their side a decisive 6-3 lead.
Needing only two more games to seal qualification, Manush produced another captain’s performance against Ankur. The Indian international won 11-7 and 11-5 to complete an unbeaten evening, sending the defending champions into a second successive Butterfly UTT final, where they will meet Dempo Goa Challengers in a clash between two former champions.
Manush was named the Indian Player of the Tie, while Hursey claimed the ChatGPT Match IQ Player and Foreign Player of the Tie awards. Bardet completed the awards sweep for U Mumba by collecting the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
Result: U Mumba TT bt HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades 8-3 (Lilian Bardet lost to Eduard Ionescu 9-11, 10-11, 11-8; Anna Hursey bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-8, 11-5, 8-11; Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt Ankur Bhattacharjee/Ayhika Mukherjee 11-7, 11-5, 11-2; Manush Shah bt Ankur Bhattacharjee 11-7, 11-5).
