Winning an Ultimate Table Tennis title is special. Defending it, Lilian Bardet believes, is even more satisfying.

The Frenchman, one of only two surviving players from U Mumba TT’s maiden triumph in 2025 alongside reserve paddler Akash Pal, felt Sunday’s victory over Dempo Goa Challengers, unbeaten in the seventh season until then, was a testament to the team’s resilience after a shaky start.

“The first time is always something new for the team, for the players. But to achieve it a second time in a row is even bigger,” Bardet said after lifting the trophy at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji on Sunday.

“Teamwork from the first day until today [Sunday]… we are really proud of this victory.”

Coach John Murphy, who continued alongside Jay Modak after last year’s title-winning campaign, believed this triumph was markedly different from the first. “We lost the first two matches. We didn’t panic. We built our way back into the league. We qualified and then hit the ground running in the playoffs,” Murphy said.

“Last year, we ran on adrenaline and had some really big individual performances. This year was more calculated. I felt that the longer the tournament went on, the better we became.”

That measured approach was exemplified by Manush Shah. Returning to UTT after missing the 2025 season due to international commitments, the ace Indian paddler grew into the tournament before producing decisive performances in the semifinal and final.

“When we saw that Manush was available in the auction, he was one of the players we wanted,” Murphy said. “We were lucky enough to get him. Coming back after missing last season, he had to adapt again because UTT is a different format. But good players find their way.”

Murphy felt Manush’s impact increased with every passing tie. “He never backed down. He was probably the one player who just got better and better as the tournament went on. In the end, he was probably the key.”

Even so, Murphy insisted the title was built on collective consistency rather than individual brilliance. “But the team is a team. We wouldn’t have got there if we weren’t stable all the way through the league”.

Taneesha Kotecha produced a major upset in Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 to formally seal HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades’ place in the semifinals, while Frenchman Lilian Bardet ensured defending champion U Mumba TT also advanced despite a narrow defeat in its final league tie at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

The night’s final flourish, however, belonged to Nithyashree Mani. The Chennai paddler, representing U Mumba, stunned Zeng Jian to take the contest down to the wire before the experienced Singapore paddler held her nerve to clinch the decider and hand the Kolkata outfit an 8-7 victory.

With both teams locked on 41 points before the tie, each needed at least five points to guarantee a semifinal berth. Eduard Ionescu gave Kolkata the ideal start by defeating the left-handed Manush Shah in a clash of equals.

Taneesha then delivered the standout performance of the evening, blanking World No. 34 Anna Hursey 3-0. Although Hursey, ranked more than 100 places above the Indian, was visibly hampered by a stomach bug, Taneesha was relentless in exploiting her opponent’s restricted movement with remarkable consistency.

Hursey, to her credit, returned for the mixed doubles and partnered Manush to secure two crucial points for U Mumba.

Bardet then confirmed U Mumba’s passage to the semifinals by taking the opening two games against the flamboyant Ankur Bhattacharjee. The Kolkata youngster responded with a sparkling display of backhand winners to claim the third game and keep his team in the hunt.

Trailing 5-7, U Mumba turned to Nithyashree ahead of the in-form Anusha Kutumbale. The gamble nearly paid off as Nithyashree raced through the first two games against Zeng, only for the vastly experienced paddler to edge the decider and complete a win for Thunder Blades.

The result: HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades bt U Mumba TT 8-7 (Eduard Ionescu bt Manush Shah 9-11, 11-8, 11-7; Taneesha Kotecha bt Anna Hursey 11-6, 11-4, 11-4; Ankur Bhattacharjee & Taneesha lost to Manush & Hursey 11-8, 4-11, 7-11; Ankur lost to Lilian Bardet 9-11, 8-11, 11-6; Zeng Jian lost to Nithyashree Mani 10-11, 5-11, 11-5).

The standings: HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 49 points (6 ties), U Mumba TT 48 (6), Dempo Goa Challengers 46 (5), Ahmedabad APL Pipers 45 (6), Dabang Delhi TTC 36 (5), PBG Pune Jaguars 34 (5), UP Prometheans 27 (5).

Dabang Delhi pulled off a remarkable 8-7 win over HVR Kolkata Thunderblades in an Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 clash at the Shyama Prasad Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

Dabang had to overcome a sensational show from 19-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee to register its second successive victory. Fresh from beating UP Prometheans the other day, the Delhi outfit looked set for another comfortable win before Ankur produced the standout performance of the evening.

The teenager dismantled the vastly experienced G. Sathiyan in straight games in the fourth match, unleashing fearless attacking strokes from all parts of the table. In his exuberance after sealing the win, Ankur climbed onto the table in celebration, earning a yellow card from the umpire. Earlier, the teams had shared the honours in the opening two singles.

Dabang gained the upper hand by winning the third mixed doubles match — with Sathiyan and Maria Xiao maintaining an unbeaten run from the previous season — before Ankur’s dominant victory helped the Kolkata team narrow the lead.

The tie eventually hinged on women’s singles, with Dabang trailing 5-7. Kolkata needed just one game from Ayhika Mukherjee to clinch the contest, but Sutirtha Mukherjee had other ideas.

Taking on her childhood friend and doubles partner, Sutirtha delivered a superb all-round attacking display, nullifying the spin variations of Ayhika, who uses a long-pimpled rubber, to sweep all three games and snatch victory for the former champion.

The results: Dabang Delhi bt HVR Kolkata Thunderblades 8-7 (Youssef Abdulaziz bt Eduard Ionescu 6-11, 11-7, 11-4; Maria Xiao lost to Zeng Jian 3-11, 11-8, 9-11); Maria & Sathiyan bt Ankur Bhattacharjee & Zeng Jian 11-5, 7-11, 11-5; Sathiyan lost to Ankur 10-11, 6-11, 10-11; Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-6, 11-2, 11-7).

Ahmedabad APL Pipers bt U Mumba TT 9-6 (Adrien Rassenfosse lost to Lilian Bardet 7-11, 6-11, 11-9; Manika Batra lost to Anna Hursey 7-11, 6-11, 11-4; Payas Jain & Sofia Polcanova bt Manush Shah & Anna Hursey 11-10, 11-9, 10-11; Payas bt Manush 11-8, 8-11, 11-8; Polcanova bt Anusha 11-8, 11-8, 11-4).