Olympian Alvaro Robles delivered a flawless night as Dempo Goa Challengers became the first team to book a place in the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 Powered by ChatGPT final, defeating former champions Dabang Delhi TTC 8-2 in the first semi-final on 24 Jul 2026. Robles starred in both the men’s singles and mixed doubles as Goa extended their unbeaten run and moved one victory away from the title.
Goa’s fast start proved decisive, as they surged into an early lead and then sealed the contest in the fourth match of the tie. While Maria Xiao briefly checked the hosts’ momentum with a comeback win over Bernadette Szocs, the combination of Robles and teenager Syndrela Das put Goa on the brink before Abhinandh P.B. closed it out against Delhi captain Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.
How the semi-final was won: Goa’s early surge and a composed finish
The tie opened with Robles setting the tone in men’s singles, beating Youssef Abdelaziz 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-10). After taking the first two games comfortably, the Spaniard produced a key turnaround in the third, coming back from 7-10 down to complete the straight-games victory and hand Goa an early 3-0 advantage on the UTT points system.
Dabang Delhi responded in the second match through Maria Xiao, who recovered after narrowly dropping the opening game against Bernadette Szocs. Xiao won 2-1 (10-11, 11-6, 11-4) to reduce the deficit, taking control across the final two games after the tight opener slipped away.
Goa quickly regained control in the mixed doubles, where Robles and Syndrela Das outclassed Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Xiao in straight games. The Goa pair won 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-3), pushing the hosts to the brink of qualification and leaving Delhi with little margin for error.
With the tie on the line, Abhinandh P.B. showed composure in the fourth match, beating Delhi captain Sathiyan 1-0 (11-9). Abhinandh edged the decisive game 11-9 to seal Goa’s place in the final and complete an emphatic 8-2 semi-final win.
Match-by-match results
Alvaro Robles bt. Youssef Abdelaziz 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-10)
Bernadette Szocs lost to Maria Xiao 1-2 (11-10, 6-11, 4-11)
Alvaro Robles/Syndrela Das bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-3)
Abhinandh P.B. bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 1-0 (11-9)
Awards and what it means for UTT Season 7
Robles’ impact across singles and doubles was recognised with two honours on the night: he was named the ChatGPT Match IQ Player and the Foreign Player of the Tie. Syndrela Das received the Indian Player of the Tie award, while Maria Xiao earned the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
The result also keeps Goa’s campaign on track for a historic finish. The Challengers had already become the first team in UTT history to complete the league stage unbeaten, and the semi-final win takes them one step from completing that run with the title.
Butterfly UTT Season 7 is staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani. The season features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, and continues to 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.
