Published: July 18, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Manika Batra produced a commanding straight-games victory over Prithika Pavade as Ahmedabad APL Pipers jumped to the top of the table with a 10-5 win over PBG Pune Jaguars in Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 powered by ChatGPT in Goa on Saturday.
Manika sealed the tie in style after Ahmedabad had laid the platform through their foreign duo Adrien Rassenfosse and Sofia Polcanova and the mixed doubles pairing of Payas Jain and Polcanova.
Sofia Polcanova bounced back after dropping the opener to edge Diya Chitale in their first-ever meeting, winning both the second and third games on Golden Point to double the advantage. Pics: Butterfly UTT
Ahmedabad made the perfect start as Adrien Rassenfosse handed Snehit Suravajjula his first singles defeat of the season, recovering from a late fightback to clinch the contest in three games. Sofia Polcanova then bounced back after dropping the opener to edge Diya Chitale in their first-ever meeting, winning both the second and third games on Golden Point to double the advantage.
Dempo Goa Challengers equal biggest win with Dabang Delhi demolition in Butterfly UTT
Payas Jain and Polcanova extended Ahmedabad’s lead with a composed mixed doubles comeback before Omar Assar kept Pune alive by edging Payas in another three-game battle. Manika, however, ensured there would be no late twist, controlling proceedings throughout to defeat Pavade in straight games and complete a comprehensive victory for the Pipers.
Manika claims award
Polcanova was named both the ChatGPT Match IQ Player and Foreign Player of the Tie, while Manika claimed the Indian Player of the Tie award. Pavade, meanwhile, earned the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
Dabang defeat Dempo
Earlier in the day, Dream UTT Juniors, Butterfly UTT’s grassroots competition running alongside Season 7, saw Dabang Delhi TTC defeat Dempo Goa Challengers 5-2 and U Mumba TT overcome UP Prometheans 5-1 in the semifinals, with both teams advancing to the final, scheduled to be played on Sunday.
Omar Assar defeated Payas Jain for Pune Jaguars’ only win in the contest
Later in the day, U Mumba TT will take on UP Prometheans. All Butterfly UTT Season 7 matches will be live on Star Sports Khel (Hindi), Star Sports Tamil 2 HD and Star Sports Tamil 3 HD, and streamed live on JioHotstar in Hindi, Tamil and English.
Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, Butterfly UTT Season 7 features 42 players from around the world, including 14 Olympians, while continuing to strengthen the Indian table tennis ecosystem through elite competition and year-round development initiatives.
Results: Ahmedabad APL Pipers beat PBG Pune Jaguars 10-5
Adrien Rassenfosse beat Snehit Suravajjula 2-1 (11-8, 11-6, 8-11); Sofia Polcanova beat Diya Chitale 2-1 (4-11, 11-10, 11-10); Payas Jain/ Sofia Polcanova beat Anirban Ghosh/Prithika Pavade 2-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-7); Payas Jain lost to Omar Assar 1-2 (6-11, 11-7, 9-11); Manika Batra beat Prithika Pavade 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8).
