Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 31 (ANI): A fiery Maharashtra Derby awaits as U Mumba TT take on PBG Pune Jaguars in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday.
With World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs and India’s rising star Yashaswini Ghorpade leading Mumbai’s charge, they’ll square off against a Pune outfit powered by Olympian and league stalwart Alvaro Robles. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad’s EKA Arena.
Captained by Szocs, the league’s highest-ranked player at the time of writing, U Mumba TT will be gunning for a strong start. The Romanian star leads a dynamic lineup that includes India’s fast-rising Yashaswini Ghorpade, now the country’s No. 2-ranked women’s singles player and riding high on an outstanding UTT debut in 2024.
Joining them is Frenchman Lilian Bardet, back for his second stint after an impressive debut last year, where he won four of six matches and proved to be a clutch performer in tight moments. Prodigious Abhinandh PB and Swastika Ghosh, as well as doubles ace Akash Pal, will add depth to the U Mumba roster.
On the other side, PBG Pune Jaguars have built a formidable frontline anchored by Olympians Alvaro Robles and Dina Meshref. The Egyptian star makes her UTT debut with a deep resume, while Robles, returning for his fifth season, brings proven leadership and top-tier stats.
Robles, a former champion, led the league last season in serve success percentage (62) and had the highest game-winning rate of any male player, winning 13 of his 18 games at a success rate of 72.22 per cent, making him a cornerstone in high-pressure ties.
Backing them is a well-rounded core featuring experienced hands in Mudit Dani and Reeth Rishya, plus the versatile Anirban Ghosh in doubles. But it’s 19-year-old Taneesha Kotecha, A WTT Youth Contender silver medallist, who will be eager to make this stage her own, after the team from Pune backed her with a Right-to-Match bid in the UTT Season 6 auction.
Squads
U Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB
PBG Pune Jaguars: Alvaro Robles (Spain), Dina Meshref (Egypt), Taneesha Kotecha, Anirban Ghosh, Reeth Rishya, Mudit Dani. (ANI)
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