Sayali stuns Manika, hands UP Prometheans win over Ahmedabad in UTT

Panaji, Jul 14 (PTI) Promising Sayali Wani scripted one of the most dramatic finishes in Ultimate Table Tennis, saving three successive tie points before defeating Indian icon Manika Batra on golden point to seal UP Prometheans' first victory of Season 7 here on Tuesday. Battling back in a nail-biting tie, UP recorded an 8-7 win over Ahmedabad APL Pipers at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium. The tie came down to the final game of the night, where Sayali produced a comeback for the ages. After dropping the opening game 11-5, the youngster recovered from 3-7 down to steal the second 11-8 before finding herself trailing 7-10 in the decider with UP staring at defeat. Unfazed, she saved all three tie points to force a golden point, before sealing victory with remarkable composure to complete a stunning turnaround against one of Indian table tennis' greatest names. The tie itself ebbed and flowed throughout the evening. Payas Jain recovered from a game down to defeat Sudhanshu Grover before Sofia Polcanova fought back to overcome two-time UTT MVP Yangzi Liu, giving Ahmedabad an early advantage. UP responded emphatically through Ricardo Walther and Swastika Ghosh, whose straight-games mixed doubles victory, featuring two golden point wins, swung the tie firmly in their favour. Adrien Rassenfosse then produced a battling three-game victory over Walther to level the contest once more, recovering from a second-game deficit in the process and ensuring the women's singles would decide the outcome. That set the stage for Sayali's unforgettable finish, delivering UP's breakthrough victory in unforgettable fashion. PTI SSC SSC UNG