Manush leads U Mumba into UTT final

U Mumba TT stayed on course for a successful title defence with a clinical 8-3 victory over a spirited HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades on Saturday, setting up a mouth-watering Ultimate Table Tennis Season-7 final against Dempo Goa Challengers at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.It was a complete team performance, orchestrated by the elegant Manush Shah, whose commanding display swung the semifinal decisively in U Mumba’s favour.

After the opening two singles matches, the teams were locked at 3-3 in the race to eight games. From there on, however, U Mumba steadily tightened its grip.The bespectacled Manush, ranked World No.

40, first teamed up with Anna Hursey to blank the Kolkata pairing of Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ayhika Mukherjee in the mixed doubles. Their crisp strokemaking and sharp anticipation left the Thunder Blades with little room to dictate rallies, handing U Mumba a crucial advantage.Manush then carried the momentum into the fourth singles against the flamboyant Ankur.

Despite conceding an early lead, Manush repeatedly targeted Ankur’s forehand corner, using a succession of forehand topspin winners to snatch the opening game.Ankur briefly threatened a comeback in the second as his trademark backhand winners began to find their mark. But Manush’s precision on serve and receive kept him firmly in control.

Fittingly, he sealed the contest with another ferocious forehand topspin that clipped the top edge of Ankur’s blade before flying long, prompting jubilant teammates to hoist him onto their shoulders.Earlier, Romanian Eduard Ionescu had given Kolkata the perfect start by defeating Frenchman Lilian Bardet in the opening singles. Hursey then showcased her excellent touch and tactical awareness against Ayhika’s awkward long-pimpled rubber to restore parity, laying the platform for Manush to take centre stage.

The result: U Mumba TT bt HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades 8-3 (Lilian Bardet lost to Eduard Ionescu 9-11, 10-11, 11-8, Anna Hursey bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, Manush Shah & Hursey bt Ankur Bhattacharjee & Ayhika 11-7, 11-5, 11-2, Manush bt Ankur 11-7, 11-5). Published - July 25, 2026 10:39 pm IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove Related Topics table tennis