Golden point thriller

Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor: Anusha Kutumbale held her nerve in a dramatic Golden Point finish to guide reigning champions U Mumba TT to their first victory of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7, sealing a thrilling 8-7 win over previously unbeaten Dabang Delhi TTC at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigaon near Panaji on Wednesday.

The tie came down to a dramatic final Women's Singles contest, where Anusha needed just one game to secure victory for U Mumba. Delhi’s Spanish stalwart Maria Xiao, however, refused to go quietly, saving four tie points to steal the opening game before taking the second to level the tie at 7-7. With the contest hinging on a winner-takes-all decider, Anusha held her nerve in a tense Golden Point finish to clinch U Mumba's first victory of the season.

Youssef Abdelaziz gave Delhi the early advantage by defeating Manush Shah in three games, but Anna Hursey responded with another statement performance, coming from behind to beat Sutirtha Mukherjee 2-1 and hand the Delhi paddler her first game–and first match–defeat of the campaign. U Mumba then struck another significant blow as Hursey and Manush stunned the previously unbeaten pairing of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao, ending their seven-match winning streak stretching across Seasons 6 and 7.