Defending champions U Mumba TT booked their place in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 final with a commanding 8-3 victory over HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades in the second semifinal at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao near Panaji. Captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey led the way, combining for an unbeaten Mixed Doubles performance and setting up a title clash against unbeaten league leaders Dempo Goa Challengers.
The result also brings the season full circle, with the final set to be a repeat of the tournament opener between Goa and U Mumba. U Mumba’s win sends them into a second successive UTT final and sets up a meeting between two former champions.
How U Mumba TT sealed the 8-3 semifinal win
Kolkata made the brighter start through Romanian international Eduard Ionescu, who edged Lilian Bardet in a hard-fought three-game contest. Ionescu took the opening two games 11-9 and 11-10 before Bardet pulled one back, giving HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades an early 2-1 advantage in the tie.
U Mumba responded quickly as Hursey produced a composed win over Ayhika Mukherjee. The Welshwoman claimed the first two games before Ayhika took the third, and the tie moved to 3-3 heading into the pivotal Mixed Doubles.
From that point, U Mumba seized complete control. Manush and Hursey overwhelmed Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika in straight games for their fifth consecutive Mixed Doubles win. The U Mumba pair conceded just 14 points across the final two games of the match-up, a surge that pushed the defending champions into a decisive 6-3 lead overall.
Needing only two more games to confirm qualification, Manush delivered again in the Men’s Singles against Ankur. The captain won 11-7 and 11-5, completing an unbeaten evening and sealing U Mumba’s spot in the final with the tie finishing 8-3.
Standout performances from Manush Shah and Anna Hursey
Hursey featured across Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles, contesting six games and winning five. Manush remained flawless, winning all five games he played across his two matches, underlining his impact as U Mumba closed out the semifinal strongly.
With the Mixed Doubles swing and Manush’s closing singles games, U Mumba turned a level contest into a one-sided finish, ensuring the defending champions will have the chance to retain their title.
Awards and what’s next in UTT Season 7
Manush 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. Lilian Bardet added to U Mumba’s haul by receiving the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
UTT Season 7 is staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, as the league continues its focus on elite competition and year-round development initiatives. Next up, U Mumba TT will face Dempo Goa Challengers in the final, with the matchup doubling as a repeat of the season’s opening tie.
