Defending champions U Mumba TT stayed firmly on course for a successful title defence with a clinical 8-3 victory over a spirited HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades in the second semi-final of Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.
The win set up a mouth-watering final against Dempo Goa Challengers. It was a complete team performance, orchestrated by the elegant Manush Shah (World No. 40), whose commanding display swung the contest decisively in U Mumba's favour.
After the opening two singles, the teams were locked at 3-3 in the race to eight games. From there, U Mumba steadily tightened its grip. Manush first teamed up with Anna Hursey to blank the Kolkata pairing of Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika
Mukherjee in the mixed doubles. Their crisp strokemaking and sharp anticipation left the Thunder Blades with little room to dictate rallies.
Manush then carried the momentum into the fourth singles against the flamboyant Ankur. Despite conceding an early lead, he repeatedly targeted Ankur's forehand corner with a succession of forehand topspin winners to snatch the opening game. Ankur briefly threatened a comeback in the second as his trademark backhand winners found their mark, but Manush's precision on serve and receive kept him firmly in control. He sealed the contest with another ferocious forehand topspin that clipped the top edge of Ankur's blade before flying long, prompting jubilant teammates to hoist him onto their shoulders.
Earlier, Romanian Eduard Ionescu had given Kolkata the perfect start by defeating Frenchman Lilian Bardet in the opening singles. Hursey then showcased her excellent touch and tactical awareness against Ayhika's awkward long-pimpled rubber to restore parity, laying the platform for Manush to take centre stage.
Result: U Mumba TT bt HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 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 & Hursey bt Ankur Bhattacharjee & Ayhika 11-7, 11-5, 11-2
Manush bt Ankur 11-7, 11-5
