Payas Jain secured his maiden victory over compatriot Manush Shah to inspire Ahmedabad APL Pipers to a 9-6 win over reigning champions U Mumba TT in Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 powered by ChatGPT at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
After combining with Sofia Polcanova to win a crucial mixed doubles contest, Payas delivered in the decisive men’s singles before the Austrian Olympian sealed the tie in the final match, handing Ahmedabad an opening victory and U Mumba a second successive defeat.
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, while continuing to strengthen the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition and year-round development initiatives.
The evening tie swung repeatedly from the outset. Lilian Bardet handed U Mumba the early edge against Adrien Rassenfosse before Anna Hursey continued her impressive start to the season with a 2-1 upset over Manika Batra. Ahmedabad responded through Payas and Polcanova, who edged Manush and Hursey in a tense mixed doubles contest to keep the tie within touching distance.
With the contest delicately poised, Payas produced the defining performance of the clash, overcoming Manush 2-1 to level the tie at 6-6 and register his first-ever win over the Indian international. The experienced Polcanova then held off a spirited Anusha Kutumbale in straight games to complete Ahmedabad’s comeback and secure a memorable triumph.
Payas picked up a trifecta to conclude a perfect evening: the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie, the Indian Player of the Tie, and the Bisleri Shot of the Tie awards. Polcanova was named the Foreign Player of the Tie.
Earlier in the day, in the Dream UTT Juniors, Butterfly UTT’s grassroots competition running alongside Season 7, U Mumba TT maintained their perfect start with a convincing 7-2 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars, while Dempo Goa Challengers bounced back to edge UP Prometheans 5-4, handing the latter their first defeat of the campaign.
FINAL SCORES
Ahmedabad APL Pipers 9-6 U Mumba TT
Adrien Rassenfose lost to Lilian Bardet 1-2 (7-11, 6-11, 11-9)
Manika Batra lost to Anna Hursey 1-2 (7-11, 6-11, 11-4)
Payas Jain/Sofia Polcanova bt. Manush Shah/Anna Hursey 2-1 (11-10, 11-9, 10-11)
Payas Jain bt. Manush Shah 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8)
Sofia Polcanova bt. Anusha Kutumbale 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4).
