Anusha’s Golden Point Heroics Hand U Mumba Thrilling 8-7 Win Over Dabang Delhi in UTT Season 7

Panaji, July 2026 : Defending champions U Mumba TT registered their first victory of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 in dramatic fashion, edging previously unbeaten Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7 in a thrilling contest decided by a nerve-wracking Golden Point at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigaon near Panaji on Wednesday.

The high-intensity clash went right down to the wire, with India’s Anusha Kutumbale emerging as the hero for U Mumba. In the decisive Women’s Singles encounter, Anusha required just one game to secure the overall tie for her team. However, experienced Spanish paddler Maria Xiao staged a spirited comeback by saving four tie points to snatch the opening game before winning the second to level the overall score at 7-7.

With the entire contest hinging on a winner-takes-all Golden Point in the third game, Anusha displayed remarkable composure under pressure. She held her nerve during the tense rally to claim the decisive point, sparking jubilant celebrations as U Mumba sealed their maiden victory of the season.

The evening had begun on a positive note for Dabang Delhi TTC. Egyptian paddler Youssef Abdelaziz provided the early breakthrough by defeating U Mumba captain Manush Shah 2-1. Abdelaziz dominated the opening two games before Manush salvaged the third, but Delhi still walked away with the advantage.

U Mumba responded strongly through Welsh star Anna Hursey, who continued her impressive form with another fighting performance. After dropping the opening game against Sutirtha Mukherjee, Hursey bounced back brilliantly to win the next two games, inflicting Sutirtha’s first game loss and first overall match defeat of the campaign.

The defending champions gained further momentum in the Mixed Doubles contest as the pairing of Manush Shah and Anna Hursey stunned the previously unbeaten duo of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao. Their 2-1 victory ended Delhi’s formidable seven-match winning streak in mixed doubles, a run that had stretched across Seasons 6 and 7 of the league.

French paddler Lilian Bardet then extended U Mumba’s advantage by defeating Indian veteran Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in another closely fought three-game battle. Bardet maintained his unbeaten international record against Sathiyan, producing another composed display when it mattered most.

Despite trailing for most of the tie, Dabang Delhi refused to surrender. Maria Xiao produced an outstanding performance in the final Women’s Singles match, saving multiple tie points and winning the opening two games to erase U Mumba’s advantage and level the contest at 7-7. However, her remarkable comeback ultimately fell short as Anusha delivered in the decisive Golden Point to hand the reigning champions a memorable victory.

Anna Hursey’s all-round contribution earned her the Foreign Player of the Tie award, while U Mumba skipper Manush Shah was named Indian Player of the Tie. Maria Xiao received the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie honour for her resilient display, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran claimed the Bisleri Shot of the Tie award.

Earlier in the day, action in the UTT Juniors competition also produced exciting results. Dempo Goa Challengers became the first team to qualify for the semifinals after recording a commanding 7-2 victory over Ahmedabad APL Pipers. Meanwhile, HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades strengthened their playoff hopes by edging PBG Pune Jaguars 5-4 to move into second place in the standings.

Final Score: U Mumba TT 8-7 Dabang Delhi TTC

Team Maverick