PANAJI
Dabang Delhi TTC secured the fourth and final semifinal berth in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 with a 10-5 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars on Thursday.
The former champions will now take on unbeaten league phase leaders Dempo Goa Challengers in the first semifinal on Friday, while HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades face defending champions U Mumba TT in the second last-four clash a day later.
Playing at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Maria Xiao starred for Delhi with commanding victories in the women's singles and mixed doubles, while captain Sathiyan Gnanasekaran once again led from the front to guide his side into the semifinals. Pune began brightly through Omar Assar, but Delhi responded with three successive match victories to take control before closing out the tie.
RESULT
Dabang Delhi TTC 10 bt PBG Pune Jaguars 5
Youssef Abdelaziz lost to Omar Assar 1-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-8); Maria Xiao bt Prithika Pavade 3-0 (11-7, 11-10, 11-7); Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao bt Anirban Ghosh/Diya Chitale 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-4); Sathiyan Gnanasekaran bt Snehit Suravajjula 2-1 (11-8, 11-10, 6-11); Sutirtha Mukherjee lost to Diya Chitale 1-2 (11-10, 10-11, 8-11)
