UTT Season 6: Jaipur Patriots Eye Third Straight Win Against Ahmedabad SG Pipers

Ahmedabad: Jaipur Patriots will look to extend their winning streak to three matches in Season 6 of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) as they face Ahmedabad SG Pipers on Saturday. In the evening fixture, league leaders U Mumba TT will square off against Stanley’s Chennai Lions, who are still searching for their first win of the season.

Jaipur enters the first match of the day with strong momentum. Sreeja Akula has remained unbeaten this season, including a stunning victory over world No. 12 Bernadette Szocs, backed by her lethal forehand—tied for the highest success rate in the league. USA's Kanak Jha has also found his rhythm, winning consecutive matches and potentially setting up a thrilling face-off with Ricardo Walther. Meanwhile, Jeet Chandra and Britt Eerland opened their accounts in Jaipur’s previous outing, suggesting that the Patriots are solidifying a dependable core lineup.

On the other hand, Ahmedabad SG Pipers are fresh off their first win of the season and will look to challenge Jaipur’s rhythm. Ricardo Walther has won back-to-back ties and has formed a strong doubles partnership with Ayhika Mukherjee, winning two out of three matches together. With Walther’s sharp forehand (32% success rate) and Ayhika gaining confidence after her maiden singles win, Ahmedabad has the arsenal to test Jaipur’s depth. Teammates Snehit Suravajjula and Giorgia Piccolin will also be aiming for their first wins of the campaign.

Later in the evening, U Mumba TT — currently leading the table with 23 points — will look to bounce back from their first loss. Despite the recent setback, Bernadette Szocs and Lilian Bardet continue to shine. Szocs leads the league in both forehand effectiveness (33% success rate) and service success. Her mixed doubles partnership with Akash Pal has added consistency, and although Akash has yet to secure a singles win, his game contributions have helped Mumbai maintain their top position.

Chennai Lions, though winless in three matches, are still fourth on the table due to the IndianOil UTT’s unique format, where every game counts. The Lions have collected 20 games so far, and with Chinese star Fan Siqi in top form — winning 8 out of 9 games — they are hopeful of a turnaround. Captain Kirill Gerassimenko is also gaining momentum after picking up his first win of the season, and his clash with Bardet could be a crucial one.

Squads:

Match 1 – Jaipur Patriots vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers

Jaipur Patriots:
Britt Eerland (Netherlands), Kanak Jha (USA), Sreeja Akula, Jeet Chandra, Pritha Vartikar, Yashansh Malik

Ahmedabad SG Pipers:
Ayhika Mukherjee, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini Sivashankar

Match 2 – U Mumba TT vs Stanley’s Chennai Lions

U Mumba TT:
Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB

Stanley’s Chennai Lions:
Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat Banu

With inputs from IANS