UTT: Snehit does the star turn for Pune Jaguars

S.F.R. Snehit put his heart and soul into both his matches as PBG Pune Jaguars edged UP Prometheans 9-6 in an absorbing Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 clash at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.

Riding on its dominant singles victories, Dempo Goa Challengers scripted an 8-7 win over Ahmedabad APL Pipers in the day’s second tie. Alvaro Robles, Syndrela Das and P. B. Abhinandh won their respective singles matches with ease to pocket the tie.

The match that took the cake was the one between 16-year-old Syndrela and three-time Olympian Manika Batra. The teenager produced a scintillating attacking display to outclass Manika in three straight games before Abhinandh provided the finishing touches.

There was little doubt that Snehit was the driving force behind Pune’s victory, providing the momentum that carried his team to victory.

It was by no means an easy outing for the 26-year-old Indian, ranked World No. 113. After the opening two singles were shared, with UP Prometheans’ Ricardo Walther overcoming Omar Assar 2-1 and Pune’s Diya Chitale defeating Sayali Wani by an identical margin, the mixed doubles assumed significance.

Partnering France’s Prithika Pavade, Snehit dug deep to edge past Walther and Swastika Ghosh in three hard-fought games, giving Pune a crucial advantage. In fact, Snehit and Prithika saved four match points to win the third game on golden point. He then returned for the fourth singles and overcame the experienced Sudhanshu Grover 2-1 to stretch Pune’s lead to 7-5.

UP successfully challenged Snehit’s service angle exceeding 30 degree four times — twice in the mixed doubles and twice in the singles — but he remained unfazed, quickly adjusting his tactics and maintaining intensity to guide Pune closer to victory.

UP, meanwhile, sorely missed the services of its top paddler Manav Thakkar, who was reportedly unwell.

The results: PBG Pune Jaguars bt UP Prometheans 9-6 (Omar Assar lost to Ricardo Walther 4-11, 10-11, 11-9; Diya Chitale bt Sayali Wani 9-11, 11-8, 11-10; S.F.R. Snehit & Prithika Pavade bt Walther & Swastika Ghosh 8-11, 11-10, 11-10; Snehit bt Sudanshu Grover11-7, 3-11, 11-9; Prithika bt Yangzi Liu 4-11, 11-7, 11-9).

Dempo Goa Challengers bt Ahmedabad APL Pipers 8-7 (Alvaro Robles bt Adrien Rassenfosse 11-7, 11-8, 11-2; Syndrela Das bt Manika Batra 11-10, 11-9, 11-9; P.B. Abhinandh & Bernadette Szocs lost to Payas Jain & Sofia Polcanova 7-11, 5-11, 10-11; Abhinandh bt Payas 11-8, 11-10, 5-11; Szocs lost to Sofia 8-11, 6-11, 8-11).