S.F.R. Snehit delivered strong performances in both his matches to help PBG Pune Jaguars defeat UP Prometheans 9-6 during an engaging Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 encounter at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Dempo Goa Challengers used key singles wins to secure an 8-7 victory against Ahmedabad APL Pipers in the second match of the day. Alvaro Robles, Syndrela Das and P. B. Abhinandh each claimed their singles contests comfortably to secure the result.
The standout contest featured 16-year-old Syndrela against three-time Olympian Manika Batra. The young player delivered an aggressive display to defeat Manika in straight games, after which Abhinandh sealed the outcome.
Snehit proved central to Pune’s success by creating the momentum needed for the win.
The 26-year-old Indian, ranked 113th in the world, faced a challenging task. After the first two singles were split, with Ricardo Walther beating Omar Assar 2-1 and Diya Chitale overcoming Sayali Wani 2-1, the mixed doubles became decisive.
Teaming with Prithika Pavade, Snehit fought hard to defeat Walther and Swastika Ghosh in three close games, giving Pune an important edge. The pair saved four match points to claim the third game on a golden point. Snehit later won his singles against Sudhanshu Grover 2-1 to extend the lead to 7-5.
UP challenged Snehit’s service angle four times but he adapted quickly and kept his focus to help secure the victory.
UP felt the absence of top player Manav Thakkar, who was reported unwell.
Results: PBG Pune Jaguars defeated UP Prometheans 9-6. Dempo Goa Challengers defeated Ahmedabad APL Pipers 8-7.
