Dempo Goa Challengers scripted history in Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 by becoming the first team to complete the league stage unbeaten after a convincing 10-5 victory over UP Prometheans in Goa on Wednesday.
The two-time champions won all six of their league matches to finish at the top of the standings and head into the semifinals with perfect momentum.
Goa’s star duo of Alvaro Robles and Bernadette Szocs laid the foundation for the victory. Robles defeated Sudhanshu Grover in straight games, while Szocs overcame Sayali Wani in a hard-fought contest. The decisive moment came in the mixed doubles, where Szocs and Abhinandh PB edged Ricardo Walther and Swastika Ghosh in three close games to seal the tie.
UP Prometheans earned consolation victories in the final two singles matches. Manav Thakkar defeated Abhinandh PB, handing the young Indian his second successive defeat, while former two-time MVP Yangzi Liu came from a game down to beat teenage paddler Syndrela Das.
Szocs enjoyed a memorable outing, winning both the ChatGPT MatchIQ Player of the Tie and Foreign Player of the Tie awards. Abhinandh PB was named Indian Player of the Tie, while Robles claimed the Bisleri Shot of the Tie honour.
The final league-stage fixture will see Dabang Delhi TTC take on PBG Pune Jaguars, with the last semifinal berth still up for grabs. Butterfly UTT Season 7 features seven franchises and continues to showcase world-class table tennis while strengthening the sport’s ecosystem in India.
