S.F.R. Snehit delivered a standout performance to lead PBG Pune Jaguars to a hard-fought 9-6 victory over UP Prometheans in an entertaining Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 clash at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Indian, ranked World No. 113, emerged as the key figure for Pune, playing a decisive role in both the mixed doubles and singles to secure the team’s victory. In the day’s other tie, Dempo Goa Challengers defeated Ahmedabad APL Pipers 8-7, thanks to commanding singles wins from Alvaro Robles, Syndrela Das and P.B. Abhinandh.
Pune’s contest remained evenly poised after the opening singles matches were shared. UP Prometheans’ Ricardo Walther defeated Omar Assar 2-1 before Diya Chitale restored parity for Pune with a 2-1 victory over Sayali Wani.
The turning point came in the mixed doubles, where Snehit partnered France’s Prithika Pavade to take on Walther and Swastika Ghosh. The Pune pair survived four match points before clinching the deciding game on the golden point, giving their team a crucial edge in the tie.
Snehit then returned for the fourth singles and defeated the experienced Sudhanshu Grover 2-1, extending Pune’s lead to 7-5 and putting the Jaguars firmly in control.
Despite facing repeated challenges to his service action, Snehit remained composed throughout the contest. UP Prometheans successfully challenged his service angle exceeding 30 degrees on four occasions—twice during the mixed doubles and twice in the singles—but the Indian paddler quickly adapted and maintained his momentum to steer Pune to victory.
UP’s challenge was further weakened by the absence of top paddler Manav Thakkar, who reportedly missed the tie due to illness.
Earlier in the day, Dempo Goa Challengers secured a narrow 8-7 win over Ahmedabad APL Pipers by dominating the singles matches. Robles, Syndrela Das and Abhinandh all registered comfortable victories to give Goa the advantage.
The highlight of that encounter came when 16-year-old Syndrela produced an impressive attacking display against three-time Olympian Manika Batra. The teenager outclassed the experienced Indian in straight games, delivering one of the most eye-catching performances of the day before Abhinandh sealed the overall victory for Goa.
Both ties provided high-quality competition, with Snehit’s resilience and Syndrela’s fearless performance emerging as the defining moments of Sunday’s UTT Season 7 action.
