U Mumba has made history, securing their inaugural Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league title! The decisive moment came when P.B. Abhinandh, mirroring Carlos Alcaraz’s celebratory fall at the French Open, tumbled backward as Jeet Chandra’s forehand hit the net and went out. This sealed the victory for U Mumba against the Jaipur Patriots, much to the delight of the packed EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.
Going into the match, the Mumbai franchise held a commanding 7-2 lead after the mixed doubles. This meant 17-year-old Abhinandh, hailing from Chennai, only needed to win one game against Chandra in the first reverse singles. This was a far cry from their semifinal against Dempo Goa Challengers, where he was under pressure to secure at least one point.
However, just like in the Challengers match, Abhinandh rallied to take the third game against the 25-year-old Chandra, despite being outplayed in the first two. This time, there was no need for a last-minute heroics from Yashaswini Ghorpade.
The groundwork for U Mumba’s triumph was laid by their captain, Bernadette Szocs. The world No. 12 Romanian, who had previously ended Zeng Jian’s undefeated streak in the semifinals, also put a stop to Sreeja Akula’s perfect run. Szocs delivered a masterful serving performance, using a variety of tomahawk serves to trouble Sreeja. A particularly surprising long pendulum serve down the line at 10-9 in the opening game caught the Indian completely off guard, showcasing Szocs’ strategic brilliance.
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