Sathiyan Gnanasekaran's Stunning Victory Sparks Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 Opener

Indian paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran marked his fifth season in Dabang Delhi TTC colours with an impressive comeback win over World No. 20 Quadri Aruna in Ultimate Table Tennis 2024. Despite a strong start by Dabang Delhi, U Mumba TT clinched the tie 9-6, with standout performances from Sutirtha Mukherjee and Manav Thakkar.

Indian paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran began his historic fifth season with Dabang Delhi TTC by securing a sensational upset over World No. 20 Quadri Aruna at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Despite trailing 7-0 early in the first game, Sathiyan showcased resilience to win 11-9 in the next two games, earning his first career victory against the African table tennis legend.

The league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), saw further drama as U Mumba TT's Sutirtha Mukherjee overpowered Diya Chitale in straight games, setting an exciting stage for the mixed doubles contest.

In the mixed doubles, Sathiyan and Orawan Paranag faced off against the newly paired Manav Thakkar and Maria Xiao. Despite their limited interaction so far, Manav and Xiao displayed excellent teamwork to win the match. Manav Thakkar's subsequent victory over Andreas Levenko ensured U Mumba TT's triumph over Dabang Delhi TTC. Paranag later defeated Xiao in women's singles to limit Delhi's losses. Tomorrow, Dabang Delhi TTC will play hosts Chennai Lions at 17:00, while U Mumba TT faces Jaipur Patriots at 19:30.

(With inputs from agencies.)