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 on 25 July 2026. Captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey led the way, combining for an unbeaten Mixed Doubles performance that proved decisive as U Mumba pulled away after the tie was level early on.
The result sets up a title clash against unbeaten league leaders Dempo Goa Challengers, making the final a repeat of the tournament opener between Goa and U Mumba. With both teams former champions, the matchup brings the season “full circle” and gives U Mumba a chance to defend their crown in a second successive Butterfly UTT final.
How the semi-final swung U Mumba’s way
Kolkata made the brighter start through Romanian international Eduard Ionescu, who edged Lilian Bardet in a hard-fought three-game contest. Ionescu took the first two games 11-9 and 11-10 before Bardet pulled one back 11-8, but the ThunderBlades still emerged with an early 2-1 advantage in games.
U Mumba responded immediately as Hursey produced a composed win over Ayhika Mukherjee in the Women’s Singles. The Welshwoman claimed the first two games 11-8 and 11-5, with Ayhika taking the third 11-8. That left the overall tie level at 3-3 heading into what the report described as the pivotal Mixed Doubles.
From that point, U Mumba seized complete control. Shah and Hursey overwhelmed Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika in straight games, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-2. The Mixed Doubles extended their run to a fifth consecutive win as a pair, and it also pushed U Mumba into a commanding 6-3 lead overall.
Needing only two more games to confirm qualification, Shah delivered again in the final listed match of the tie, beating Ankur Bhattacharjee 2-0 with identical 11-7 and 11-5 game scores. That clean sweep from the captain sealed the 8-3 overall victory and sent U Mumba into the final.
Standout performers and awards
Hursey had a heavy workload across the semi-final, contesting six games in total across Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles and winning five of them. Shah was flawless on the night, winning all five games he played across his two matches, including the straight-games wins in Mixed Doubles and Men’s Singles.
The awards reflected U Mumba’s dominance on the day. Shah was named the Indian Player of the Tie, while Hursey collected both the ChatGPT Match IQ Player and the Foreign Player of the Tie awards. Bardet completed an awards sweep for U Mumba by receiving the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
What’s next: U Mumba vs Dempo Goa Challengers in the final
With the semi-final win, U Mumba TT now face Dempo Goa Challengers in the Butterfly UTT Season 7 final, a clash between two former champions and a repeat of the tournament opener. U Mumba arrive with momentum after an 8-3 semi-final performance built around key contributions from Shah and Hursey, while Goa come in as unbeaten league leaders.
Butterfly UTT Season 7 is staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani. The season features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, and continues its focus on strengthening the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition and year-round development initiatives.
All Butterfly UTT Season 7 matches will be live on Star Sports Khel (Hindi), Star Sports Tamil 2 HD and Star Sports Tamil 3 HD, and streamed live on JioHotstar in Hindi, Tamil and English.
Match scores (semi-final): Lilian Bardet lost to Eduard Ionescu 1-2 (9-11, 10-11, 11-8); Anna Hursey bt. Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (11-8, 11-5, 8-11); Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt. Ankur Bhattacherjee/Ayhika Mukherjee 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-2); Manush Shah bt. Ankur Bhattacharjee 2-0 (11-7, 11-5).
