Dempo Goa Challengers crush Chennai Lions in Ultimate Table Tennis

Dempo Goa Challengers scored a commanding 12-3 win against Stanley’s Chennai Lions in their final league game to go top of the table in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6, here on Monday. In a crucial women's singles match, Krittwika Sinha Roy defeated China’s Fan Siqi, the league's highest-valued auction pick, 2-1.

The result helped Goa in taking the pole position with 44 points, while Chennai, still winless, were left three points short of making the playoffs. Captain Harmeet Desai was once again at the forefront for Dempo Goa Challengers, brushing aside Kazakhstan's Kirill Gerassimenko in straight games before partnering Zeng Jian to take the mixed doubles 2-1.

Zeng, meanwhile, maintained her flawless singles record with a 3-0 win over Poymantee Baisya, extending her win count to 14 out of 15 in the league. Brazil’s Vitor Ishiy, a two-time Olympian and Pan-American gold medallist, made his Ultimate Table Tennis debut for Goa in place of the injured Tiago Apolonia. He made it count with a gutsy singles' win over Payas Jain.

Ishiy, ranked No. 47 in the world, became the first Brazilian to feature in the league and showed his class with a composed 2-1 comeback victory, with two back-to-back 11-9 wins. The tie ended with the marquee clash between Fan and Krittwika. After dropping the first game, Krittwika showed nerves of steel, fighting back to win the next two and hand Fan her second loss of the season.

Scores: Dempo Goa Challengers bt Stanley’s Chennai Lions 12-3 (Harmeet Desai bt. Kirill Gerassimenko 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-5); Zeng Jian bt. Poymantee Baisya 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-10); Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian bt. Kirill Gerassimenko/Poymantee Baisya 2-1 (11-2, 10-11, 11-5); Vitor Ishiy bt. Payas Jain 2-1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-9); Krittwika Sinha Roy bt. Fan Siqi 2-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-9). PTI AM AM DDV