UTT Season 6: Defending Champions Dempo Goa Challengers Take on In-Form U Mumba TT in Semi-Final 2

Ahmedabad: Defending champions Dempo Goa Challengers are eyeing a third consecutive appearance in the final as they gear up to face a determined U Mumba TT side in the second semi-final of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday.

Goa, the only team to have lifted the UTT trophy twice, finished second on the points table with three tie victories and 44 points. U Mumba, making their first playoff appearance since Season 3, ended the league stage in third place, just two points behind Goa. The winner of this clash will face Jaipur Patriots, who have reached the final for the first time, on Sunday.

Despite an up-and-down league campaign, Goa remains a formidable side, led by Harmeet Desai and Zeng Jian, who has been in top form. Zeng remained unbeaten through the league, winning all five of her singles matches and dropping just a single game. She also teamed up with Harmeet in mixed doubles for two crucial victories.

Harmeet has been equally consistent, securing four wins out of five. Krittwika Sinha Roy has been a surprise package, winning three of her four matches, including a standout victory over China’s Fan Siqi. Vitor Ishiy of Brazil, who joined the squad as a late replacement for Tiago Apolonia, began his campaign with a win.

On the other side, U Mumba TT are riding a wave of momentum with back-to-back wins leading into the semis. Their overseas stars — Bernadette Szocs and Lilian Bardet — have hit top gear, each winning four of their last five singles matches. Rising Indian talent Yashaswini Ghorpade has continued her excellent form with three wins from four matches, while Abhinandh PB made headlines by defeating Singapore’s Izaac Quek, one of the league’s top international players. The mixed doubles duo of Szocs and Akash Pal has also been reliable, winning three out of five matches.

This will be the first meeting between Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba TT this season, setting the stage for exciting, high-stakes matchups as both teams battle for a place in the final.

Team Squads:

Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Vitor Ishiy (Brazil), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani.
U Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB.

With inputs from IANS