UTT: Szocs proves her class as Goa Challengers win three on the bounce
The Dempo Goa Challengers secured their third consecutive victory in the Ultimate Table Tennis Season-7 after a tense win against the HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades. Bernadette Szocs clinched the deciding match to seal the 8-7 team victory.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing professionalization and competitive landscape of table tennis leagues in India.
Bernadette Szocs showed why she is such a revered and feared player. The Romanian dished out a superb game against Zeng Jian to win 2-1 under immense pressure in the fifth and deciding singles match and seal the tie in Dempo Goa Challengers’ favour against HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades in the Ultimate Table Tennis Season-7 at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
The 8-7 verdict also meant Goa completed its third straight win. With the match tied 6-6, Szocs, the highest-ranked player in the competition (World No. 24), displayed immense courage in the decider.
Standing at 6’ 2’’, Goa’s Alvaro Robles moves with fluidity, and the ease with which he deals with short, low balls and lightning-fast exchanges close and behind the table is quite a marvel for a player of his height.
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