UTT: PBG Pune Jaguars, Dabang Delhi TTC win

PBG Pune Jaguars delivered a clinical, all-round performance to defeat Kolkata Thunder Blades 10-5 while Dabang Delhi TTC held their nerve to edge past defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers 9-6 in the Indian Oil UTT here on Wednesday. In a pulsating clash, Alvaro Robles edged Quadri Aruna to give PBG Pune Jaguars the ideal start, clinching all three games on Golden Points for his first singles win of the season.

Remarkably, it marked the first time this rare feat has occurred twice in the same UTT campaign. Dina Meshref then held her nerve in a tight 2-1 win over Adriana Diaz, sealing her maiden league victory before pairing with Anirban Ghosh to secure the mixed doubles 2-1, handing Pune early control of the tie.

Kolkata Thunder Blades hit back through young star Ankur Bhattacharjee, who took down Anirban with sharp, crowd-pleasing play in the second men’s singles. Crucially, though, Anirban snatched the final game to deny Ankur a full sweep, in important point that kept Pune ahead and denied Kolkata from leveling the tie.

Reeth Rishya then closed the door on any hopes of a comeback, sweeping Selena Selvakumar 3-0 to seal the tie. In the day’s first match, Harmeet Desai edged Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in a gripping three-game showdown between two of India’s finest, but it wasn’t enough as Dabang Delhi TTC sealed their second win of the season, this time over reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers in a rematch of last year’s final. PTI