The highest-ranked Indian paddler Harmeet Desai and world championships medallist Alvaro Robles powered Goa Challengers to the Ultimate Table Tennis 2023 title on Sunday. They defeated Chennai Lions 8-7 in the final in Pune.

It was the first-ever title for the Goa-based franchise, which took home a sparkling trophy and Rs 75 lakh whilst the runners-up were awarded Rs 50 lakh for their performances this the season.

The contest started with Desai registering a shock 2-1 defeat over world No 32 Benedikt Duda.

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Unbeaten in the tournament until the final, Duda began the match on a high and showcased his strength with ferocious shots on both flanks. He won the first game 11-6 before Desai made a remarkable comeback and pocketed the second game 11-4 to force the match into a decider.

The thrilling third game saw a see-saw battle between both the paddlers as they were immaculate with their touches and fought for every point.

In the end, Desai held his nerve to win the game 11-8 and clinch the first match for Goa Challengers.

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Yangzi Liu, the first female paddler to score more than 200 points in the league, continued her unbeaten run of the season following this and defeated Suthasini Sawettabut 2-1 to bring the Chennai Lions franchise back into the tie.

In the third match, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Yangzi combined to defeat Desai and Sawettabut 2-1 as the Chennai Lions raced to a 5-4 lead.

The Chennai pair produced remarkable coordination in the first game to win it by 11-7 before clinching the second by 11-9. Desai and Sawettabut won the third game through a golden point.

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In the fourth match, Robles blanked Indian veteran Sharath Kamal 3-0 to bring Goa Challengers back into the contest.

The 41-year-old fought well in the first game, but Robles was more accurate as he bagged it 11-8 and carried forward the momentum ahead in the match to register an easy win.

Thereafter, Reeth Rishya earned the required eighth point for Goa Challengers, despite losing 1-2 to 2020 Tokyo Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee to help her side to the 2023 UTT title.