There were no flashing lights, no booming entrances, and no celebratory music. The atmosphere at Ahmedabad’s EKA Arena on Thursday was one of quiet reflection, as the city reeled from a tragic flight crash earlier in the day. In solidarity, players from Dabang Delhi TTC and U Mumba wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence before the final league-stage clash of Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6.
Despite the somber mood, the match carried high stakes. Dabang Delhi needed five points to finish at the top of the table, while U Mumba also had to win at least five games to secure a semifinal berth. In the end, the 10-5 win for Mumba checked both boxes — a result that left both teams satisfied.
With the league phase wrapped up, Dabang Delhi will face fourth-seeded Jaipur Patriots in the semifinals on Thursday. U Mumba, who finished third, will square off against defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers on Friday.
The tie began with Frenchman Lilian Bardet giving Mumba a perfect start, edging past Dabang captain G. Sathiyan in a tight opener. The second match saw India’s Diya Chitale come out firing against Mumba skipper Bernadette Szocs. Chitale took the first game 11-3 and was leading in the second, but Szocs — ranked 12th in the world — turned the tide by mixing up her rhythm and unleashing her signature tomahawk serve. Eventually, she clawed her way back to win the tie.
A heartbroken Chitale fell to her knees after netting a backhand on match point, having come so close to upsetting the Romanian star. She found a bit of redemption in the mixed doubles though, pairing up with Singapore’s Izaac Quek to take on Szocs and Akash Pal, with regular doubles partner Maria Xiao rested for the tie.
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