PBG Bengaluru Smashers vs Athlead Goa Challengers, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, Live Updates: PBG Bengaluru Smashers will be squaring off against Athlead Goa Challengers in the first semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 on Thursday in Chennai. World No.25 Manika Batra will spearhead PBG Bengaluru Smashers’ challenge when they lock horns with defending champions Athlead Goa Challengers. As the tournament reaches its business end, the stakes are high, and no teams can afford any half measures in the crucial knockouts. 

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U Mumba TT vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers, Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, Live Updates: U Mumba are all set to face Ahmedabad SG Pipers in their next Ultimate Table Tennis league match on Tuesday in Chennai. Both the teams have recorded mirrored results from their opening two games, respectively. While U Mumba TT won their first tie 9-6 against Dabang Delhi TTC, they lost their second against Jaipur Patriots by the same margin. Similarly, Ahmedabad SG Pipers, who faced a 10-5 loss against Puneri Paltan Table Tennis on their UTT debut, beat reigning champions Athlead Goa Challengers by the exact score in the following tie.

Here are the Highlights of the Ultimate Table Tennis League match between U Mumba TT vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers, straight from Chennai: 

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Athlead Goa Challengers vs Jaipur Patriots, Ultimate Table Tennis, Live Updates: The highly anticipated day is here as the fifth season of the ultimate Table Tennis is all set to begin. In the inaugural clash of the season, Athlead Goa Challengers will be squaring off against Jaipur Patriots. In this edition, eight teams are set to compete for the coveted crown at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Among the 48 players featured, there are 16 international stars, several Olympians, multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medallists, World Champions, and National Champions in both the Junior and Senior categories.

Here are the Live Updates of the Ultimate Table Tennis League match between Athead Goa Challengers and Jaipur Patriots, straight from Chennai: 

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Archana Kamath gave a brief resistance but that was not enough as India lost 1-3 to technically superior Germany in the women’s table tennis team event quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday. Indian table tennis campaign ended with the loss. The Indian duo of Sreeja Akula and Archana lost the opening doubles match 5-11 11-8 10-12 6-11 to the German pair of Yuan Wan and Xiona Shan. Sreeja and Archana were holding the fort till the third game but they lost it in deuce. Thereafter, they lost the match.

In the first singles, star Indian Manika Batra was not at her best as she won the first game but lost the next three (11-8 5-11 7-11 5-11) against Annett Kaufmann as Germany took 2-0 lead in the tie.

It was at this point that Archana gave India a glimmer of hope as she held off Germany charge briefly with a 19-17 1-11 11-5 11-9 win over Xiona Shan in the second singles.

But in the third singles, Kaufmann blanked Sreeja 11-6 11-7 11-7 to seal the tie for Germany and book a semifinal berth.

On Monday, the Indian women’s team comprising Manika, Sreeja and Archana had prevailed over higher-ranked Romania 3-2 in a thrilling tie to enter the quarterfinals.

On Tuesday, the Indian men’s team led by veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal had suffered a 0-3 loss to mighty China in the pre-quarterfinals.

Both Manika and Sreeja had scripted table tennis history by becoming the first Indian players to reach the round of 16 in the individual event at the Olympics. The two, however, could not progress beyond that stage, losing to higher-ranked opponents.

The Paris Games marked the first time that India competed in the team event at the Olympics. The men’s and women’s team events in table tennis were introduced at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Manika Batra’s dream run in the Paris Olympics has reached its end as India’s first-ever woman to reach the Round of 16 was defeated in the pre-quarterfinal in five games (4-1) by Japan’s Miu Hirano. Despite losing four games, Manika did not seem to be struggling in the game and started in a solid fashion, taking the lead but going on to falter toward the business end of the game. She addressed the leads that were negated by the Japanese and said ‘that really hurt.’

“I was leading and that really hurts because I should have stayed calm in the moment and I was trying to win and I think I lost my calm so I will treat it as a learning lesson and will give it my all in the next Olympics. Now, I will give my all for the team,” Manika told reporters in the post-match interview.

Manika fought well in the first game and was tied at 6-6 before conceding five straight points to lose 11-6. She followed it by taking a 5-1 lead in the second game but again lost the game 9-11. Although the third set was highly promising for Manika which she won 14-12, the Japanese paddler’s aggression proved to be too much for the Indian star as she lost the next two games 11-8 and 11-6.

“I don’t think anything went wrong, but I could have put in more effort. I was there to give my best for my country and I did but internally I am not happy with myself how I started. But I came back in the third game, I got the confidence and even the coach said ‘we can do it from here’ but she played really well and it happens,” she added.

Manika had previously defeated home favourite and higher-ranked Prithika Pavade in straight sets on Saturday in the Round of 32. Alongside Manika, Sreeja Akula will also take part in her Round of 16 matchup against China’s Sun Yingsha.

Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath will be taking part in the Women’s Teams Competition that will begin when the singles round concludes. India will meet Romania in their first match.

“I can take the day to be sad but from tomorrow I have to prepare for the doubles, and for my team, for my country. We have a good draw and we all are well prepared. Sreeja is playing good, Archana is playing good and I think we will give our best for our country,” concluded the 29-year-old.