Golden point thriller

Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor: Indian youngster Sayali Wani scripted one of the most dramatic finishes in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), saving three successive tie points before defeating Indian icon Manika Batra on Golden Point to seal UP Prometheans' first victory of Season 7. Battling back in a nail-biting tie, UP recorded an 8-7 win over Ahmedabad APL Pipers at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigaon near Panaji on Tuesday.

The tie came down to the final game of the night, where Sayali produced a comeback for the ages. After dropping the opening game 11-5, the youngster recovered from 3-7 down to steal the second 11-8 before finding herself trailing 7-10 in the decider with UP staring at defeat. Unfazed, she saved all three tie points to force a Golden Point before sealing victory with remarkable composure to complete a stunning turnaround against one of India's greatest table tennis names.

The match itself ebbed and flowed throughout the evening. Payas Jain recovered from a game down to defeat Sudhanshu Grover before Sofia Polcanova fought back to overcome two-time Butterfly UTT MVP Yangzi Liu, giving Ahmedabad an early advantage. UP responded emphatically through Ricardo Walther and Swastika Ghosh, whose straight-games mixed doubles victory, featuring two Golden Point wins, swung the tie firmly in their favour.