Key Points

Sreeja Akula’s unbeaten run powered Jaipur Patriots to their first-ever UTT semifinals with a 9-6 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars. Jeet Chandra and Britt Eerland played pivotal roles, securing crucial wins in singles and mixed doubles. The win mathematically confirmed Jaipur’s semifinal spot while ending Pune’s playoff hopes. Sreeja capped off the tie with a dominant performance against Zion Lee, sealing the historic win.

Key Points: Sreeja Akula Leads Jaipur Patriots to UTT Semifinals Over Pune Jaguars

  • Sreeja Akula remains unbeaten in UTT Season 6
  • Jeet Chandra and Britt Eerland clinch crucial doubles win
  • Jaipur Patriots secure first-ever semifinal spot
  • PBG Pune Jaguars eliminated from playoff contention
2 min read

UTT Season 6: Sreeja's Jaipur Patriots qualify for semis with 9-6 win over PBG Pune Jaguars

Undefeated Sreeja Akula guides Jaipur Patriots to their first UTT semifinals with a 9-6 win over PBG Pune Jaguars in Season 6.

"Undefeated through all five league-stage matches, she dominated her clash with South Korea’s Zion Lee 2-1. – Match Report"

Ahmedabad, June 11

Undefeated Sreeja Akula propelled Jaipur Patriots to their first Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) semifinals, following their 9-6 victory over PBG Pune Jaguars in the penultimate league stage game of Season 6 on Wednesday.

With their win, Jaipur Patriots accrued a total of 41 points and climbed to the second spot in the table, three behind leaders Dempo Goa Challengers. Meanwhile, PBG Pune Jaguars were put out of the reckoning for the playoffs, with only one berth remaining ahead of tomorrow’s final league stage match between U Mumba TT and Dabang Delhi TTC.

Jeet Chandra kicked things off in thrilling fashion for Jaipur Patriots, blocking out Anirban Ghosh’s counter-punching style to secure a 2‑1 win. Dutchwoman Britt Eerland followed with a similar flair, taking the first two games before Pune's Reeth Rishya took the third on Golden Point.

These tight wins gave Jaipur a critical buffer heading into the mixed doubles, where Jeet and Eerland responded to an early setback and a 0‑1 deficit to take games two and three 11‑6, 11‑7. Their victory mathematically confirmed Jaipur’s spot in the semi-finals, marking their first-ever qualification into IndianOil UTT’s final four.

PBG Pune Jaguars’ Alvaro Robles struck back with a composed 2‑1 win over Yashansh Malik in the second men’s singles, adding urgency to their playoff pursuit. However, Sreeja closed the tie in style and ended Pune’s hopes of a semis berth; undefeated through all five league-stage matches, she dominated her clash with South Korea’s Zion Lee 2‑1, securing Jaipur’s 9‑6 victory.

For their starring role in Jaipur’s victory, Jeet was named the Indian Player of the Tie and Eerland the Foreign Player of the Tie. Zion’s round-the-net shot in her singles rubber versus Sreeja earned her the Shot of the Tie honour.

Final scores:

Jaipur Patriots 9-6 PBG Pune Jaguars

Jeet Chandra bt. Anirban Ghosh 2-1 (11-8, 11-9, 10-11)

Britt Eerland bt. Reeth Rishya 2-1 (11-9, 11-6, 10-11)

Jeet Chandra/Britt Eerland bt. Alvaro Robles/Reeth Rishya 2-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-7)

Yashansh Malik lost to Alvaro Robles 1-2 (4-11, 11-6, 3-11)

Sreeja Akula bt. Zion Lee 2-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-8)

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a performance by Sreeja Akula! Undefeated in all 5 matches - she's truly the backbone of Jaipur Patriots. 🇮🇳 The mixed doubles pair Jeet-Britt was brilliant too. Looking forward to semis! #UTT2023
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Priya M.
So proud to see Indian players like Jeet Chandra holding their own against international stars. Table tennis is growing fast in India! Though I wish the matches were telecast on regular sports channels, not just streaming platforms.
A
Arjun S.
The Golden Point system makes every match so exciting! Reeth Rishya's comeback in the third game was nail-biting. Sad for Pune Jaguars though - they fought well but Jaipur was just better today.
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Neha T.
Sreeja Akula is on fire this season! 🔥 Her consistency is amazing. But I think Yashansh Malik needs to work on his game - that 1-2 loss to Robles was disappointing. Still, jaipur for the win! 💪
V
Vikram J.
UTT is doing great for Indian table tennis. 5 years back we barely had any players at international level. Now see - Jeet, Sreeja, Anirban all competing with foreign players equally. Future looks bright!
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Sunita R.
That round-the-net shot by Zion Lee was pure magic! ✨ Even though she lost, such skills make the tournament special. More power to UTT for bringing world-class table tennis to India.

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