Chennai Lions Aim for First Win Against Dempo Goa in UTT Season Six

Chennai Lions Seek Victory in UTT Showdown

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 8: The Chennai Lions, led by Stanley, are on the hunt for their inaugural tie victory of the season as they prepare to face the defending champions, Dempo Goa Challengers, in the sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) on Monday.

Organized by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and supported by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT is rapidly establishing itself as a leading professional league. The competition will feature 23 ties over 16 thrilling days at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.

Although Chennai is still in search of their first tie win, the unique format of UTT, where every game is crucial, has kept them in contention for the playoffs. Despite suffering four consecutive losses, they currently hold the fifth position on the leaderboard, tied on points with Dempo Goa Challengers, thanks to close matches and consistent game performances. With an average of 6.5 games won per tie, they remain a formidable force in the league, even without a tie victory, according to a UTT press release.

A significant part of their success can be attributed to players Fan Siqi and Payas Jain. Fan, hailing from China, faced her first defeat of the season against Yashaswini Ghorpade in the last tie but remains one of the league's top performers in terms of serve and shot statistics. Payas has emerged as one of the league's most well-rounded players, ranking second in serve success (64 percent), fourth in forehand (51 percent), and within the top 10 for backhand.

A potential clash between Payas and Harmeet Desai, Goa's unbeaten star, could be crucial. Additionally, Fan's matchup against Zeng Jian or Krittwika Sinha Roy, both of whom are also undefeated this season, is highly anticipated.

The reigning champions, Dempo Goa Challengers, enter the match as a more established team, aiming for their third consecutive playoff appearance. Their campaign is bolstered by Harmeet, Zeng, and Krittwika, who have collectively secured 18 of Goa's 26 points after three ties. Harmeet has been particularly impressive, holding the third-best backhand win rate in the league (42 percent), while Zeng excels on both sides with top-five win percentages for forehand and backhand.

With Tiago Apolonia and the Harmeet-Zeng duo still striving for consistency in doubles, Goa views this tie as an opportunity to solidify their top-four position. However, Chennai's tenacity and ability to keep matches competitive suggest that this could be a pivotal fixture in the playoff race.

Squads:

Stanley's Chennai Lions: Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat Banu

Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Tiago Apolonia (Portugal), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani.