Dempo Goa Challengers defeats UP Prometheans 10-5 in Butterfly UTT Season 7

Becomes the first team in the competition’s history to remain unbeaten through the league phase

Hyderabad: Dempo Goa Challengers became the first team in the competition’s
history to remain unbeaten through the league phase after defeating UP
Prometheans 10-5 in Butterfly UTT Season 7 Powered by ChatGPT in Goa
on Wednesday.
The victory capped a remarkable league campaign for the two-time
champions, who defeated all six of their opponents to finish atop the
standings heading into the semifinals.
Alvaro Robles and Bernadette Szocs starred once again as Goa built an
early advantage before Abhinandh PB and Szocs combined to clinch the
mixed doubles and seal the tie. While UP fought back through Manav
Thakkar and Yangzi Liu in the closing matches, Goa’s commanding start
ensured they created history as the competition’s first unbeaten
league-stage side.
Goa made the perfect start as Robles swept aside Sudhanshu Grover in
straight games before Szocs overcame a spirited fightback from Sayali
Wani to double the advantage. The reigning champions then took
complete control in the mixed doubles, with Szocs and Abhinandh edging
Ricardo Walther and Swastika Ghosh in three tight games to secure the
tie and maintain Goa’s unbeaten record.
UP finished the evening with two morale-boosting victories. Manav
Thakkar handed Abhinandh a second successive singles defeat after the
youngster had gone unbeaten for much of the campaign, while former
two-time MVP Liu recovered from dropping the opening game to beat
teenage star Syndrela Das. Despite the late resistance, Goa
comfortably completed a historic unbeaten league phase.
Szocs was named both the ChatGPT MatchIQ Player and Foreign Player of
the Tie, while Abhinandh PB claimed the Indian Player of the Tie
award. Robles earned the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
The result: Dempo Goa Challengers bt UP Prometheans 10-5 (Alvaro
Robles bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-7, 11-5, 11-4; Bernadette Szocs bt
Sayali Wani 11-3, 9-11, 11-9; Abhinandh PB/Bernadette Szocs bt Ricardo
Walther/Swastika Ghosh 11-9, 11-10, 11-9; Abhinandh PB lost to Manav
Thakkar 1-2 8-11, 7-11, 11-8; Syndrela Das lost to Yangzi Liu 11-10,
7-11, 6-11).