CHENNAI: Manav Thakkar was in his element as he defeated his usual men’s doubles partner Manush Shah 2-1 at the Ultimate Table Tennis played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. His joy was short-lived as the win wasn’t enough to lead U Mumba to victory as debutants Ahmedabad SG Pipers won the match thanks to one important win through local girl Reeth Rishya.
Manush’s victory in game 3 was crucial, as it allowed Reeth Rishya to level the tie for Ahmedabad SG Pipers with a 2-1 win over Sutirtha Mukherjee. Manush then partnered with Bernadette Szocs in the mixed doubles, and the pair swept away Mumbai’s Manav and Maria Xiao, 3-0.
Quadri Aruna gave Mumbai a way back into the tie with an important 2-1 win over Lilian Bardet. However, Szocs, despite losing her first game to Xiao, heaved the team from Ahmedabad over the line by winning the second. The league’s highest-ranked player later took the third game, too, increasing the margin of victory. For her win against Sutirtha, Reeth took home the Indian Player of the Tie and DafaNews Shot of the Tie honours. Meanwhile Szocs laid claim to the Foreign Player of the Tie and the ACT Tally of the Tie awards. Results: Ahmedabad SG Pipers bt U Mumba TT 9-6.