Sixteen-year-old Syndrela Das produced one of the biggest upsets in Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) powered by ChatGPT, stunning World No. 52 and Indian stalwart Manika Batra in straight games as two-time champions Dempo Goa Challengers overcame Ahmedabad APL Pipers 8-7 at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Sunday. The teenager’s statement victory proved pivotal as Goa survived a spirited Ahmedabad fightback to register their second successive win of Season 7.
Earlier, French Olympian and Butterfly UTT debutant Prithika Pavade produced a powerhouse performance as PBG Pune Jaguars defeated UP Prometheans 9-6. Pavade capped a memorable outing by toppling two-time Butterfly UTT MVP Yangzi Liu in the deciding Women’s Singles, recovering from a game down before producing a superb display in the decider to seal one of the standout wins of the season so far.
Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, Butterfly UTT Season 7 features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians.
The Ahmedabad APL Pipers versus Dempo Goa Challengers match-up served bagels all around, with four of the five matches finishing 3-0 in the victors’ favour. Goa laid the perfect platform through Spain’s Alvaro Robles, who brushed aside Adrien Rassenfosse in straight games before Syndrela delivered the performance of the evening. Showing remarkable composure beyond her years, the 16-year-old edged three fiercely contested games against Manika, blanking the Indian star to hand the defending champions a commanding 6-0 advantage after two matches.
Ahmedabad refused to go away, with Payas Jain and Sofia Polcanova sweeping the mixed doubles before Payas claimed the final game against Abhinandh PB after the Goa youngster had already secured the match and, with it, the tie. The closing contest then produced a high-class meeting between international doubles partners Polcanova and reigning MVP Bernadette Szocs, with the Austrian prevailing in straight games. Goa’s early dominance ultimately proved enough to seal an 8-7 victory.
Syndrela picked up the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie and the Indian Player of the Tie awards for her statement win, while Robles was awarded the Bisleri Shot of the Tie. Polcanova was named the Foreign Player of the Tie.
In the day’s first tie, UP Prometheans struck first through Ricardo Walther, who overcame Omar Assar in three games, before PBG Pune Jaguars’ Diya Chitale fought back from a game down to beat Sayali Wani. Pune then seized the initiative as Snehit SFR and Prithika Pavade edged the mixed doubles on successive Golden Points, with Snehit following it up by defeating Sudhanshu Grover.
Pavade followed it with the performance of the afternoon, recovering from a game down to defeat two-time Butterfly UTT MVP Yangzi Liu and seal Pune’s first win of Season 7. Pavade was named Foreign Player of the Tie, while Snehit claimed both the Indian Player of the Tie and ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie awards. Omar Assar’s stunning winner in the deciding game of his singles earned him the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
Earlier in the day, Dream UTT Juniors, Butterfly UTT’s grassroots competition running alongside Season 7, saw Dabang Delhi TTC defeat Ahmedabad APL Pipers 6-3, while U Mumba TT maintained their perfect start with a 5-4 victory over HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades.
All Butterfly UTT Season 7 matches will be live on Star Sports Khel (Hindi), Star Sports Tamil 2 HD and Star Sports Tamil 3 HD, and streamed live on JioHotstar in Hindi, Tamil and English.
FINAL SCORE:
PBG Pune Jaguars 9-6 UP Prometheans
Omar Assar lost to Ricardo Walther 1-2 (4-11, 10-11, 11-9)
Diya Chitale bt. Sayali Wani 2-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-10)
Snehit SFR/Prithika Pavade bt. Ricardo Walther/Swastika Ghosh 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-10)
Snehit SFR bt. Sudhanshu Grover 2-1 (11-7, 3-11, 11-9)
Prithika Pavade bt. Yangzi Liu 2-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-9)
*Dempo Goa Challengers 8-7 Ahmedabad APL Pipers*
Alvaro Robles bt. Adrien Rassenfosse 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-2)
Syndrela Das bt. Manika Batra 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-9)
Abhinandh P.B./Bernadette Szocs lost to Payas Jain/Sofia Polcanova 3-0 (7-11, 5-11, 10-11)
Abhinandh P.B. bt. Payas Jain 2-1 (11-8, 11-10, 5-11)
Bernadette Szocs lost to Sofia Polcanova 3-0 (8-11, 6-11, 8-11).
