Sayali Wani stuns Manika Batra to secure UP Prometheans first UTT Season 7 win

On Tuesday, 14 July 2026, Indian youngster Sayali Wani pulled off a dramatic comeback victory against table tennis icon Manika Batra at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa.

Wani's victory secured a thrilling 8-7 tie win for the UP Prometheans against the Ahmedabad APL Pipers, marking the Prometheans' first victory of the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7.

The entire tie came down to the final women's singles match of the evening between Wani and Batra. Wani faced a difficult start, dropping the opening game 5-11. In the second game, the youngster recovered from a 3-7 deficit to win 11-8.

The deciding game saw Wani trailing 7-10, leaving UP Prometheans on the brink of defeat. Showing immense composure, Wani saved three successive tie points to force a Golden Point. She then won the final point to take the game 11-10, completing a stunning turnaround against one of the biggest names in Indian table tennis.

The tie itself featured multiple shifts in momentum throughout the evening. Ahmedabad APL Pipers initially took control of the contest. Payas Jain bounced back after dropping the first game to defeat Sudhanshu Grover 11-5, 9-11, 5-11. Sofia Polcanova then overcame a tough challenge from two-time UTT Most Valuable Player Yangzi Liu, winning 11-3, 10-11, 6-11 to put Ahmedabad ahead.

UP Prometheans responded through their mixed doubles pair of Ricardo Walther and Swastika Ghosh. The duo secured a straight-games victory over Payas Jain and Sofia Polcanova, winning 11-9, 11-10, 11-10. This match featured two Golden Point wins, shifting the momentum back in UP's favor.

Ahmedabad fought back to level the tie once more when Adrien Rassenfosse defeated Ricardo Walther 6-11, 9-11, 11-9. Rassenfosse recovered from a deficit in the second game to ensure the tie would be decided by the final women's singles match.

Following the dramatic finish, Sayali Wani was named the Indian Player of the Tie. Swastika Ghosh took home the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie award, while Ricardo Walther was recognized as the Foreign Player of the Tie. Adrien Rassenfosse won the Bisleri Shot of the Tie award.