Abhinandh makes the most of UTT debut
'I had it in my mind that I may get a chance to play and I was ready. I had been waiting for this opportunity since last year and I had to make it count,' Abhinandh, the 16-year-old Chennai boy, said after marking his UTT debut by stunning Dabang Delhi TTC's Olympian Quek Izaak of Singapore.
Abhinandh surprised Izaac, a teenage sensation who has made rapid strides on the world circuit, with his aggressive forehand winners close to the table. Abhinandh's win, despite conceding the last game to his opponent, was instrumental in helping U Mumbai finish third in the points table and enter the knockouts in style.
'I would have loved to make it 3-0, but even 2-1 was a good result. To beat such a good player whom I had lost against earlier, but I learnt quite a few lessons in the match,' he said. 'He is so good and has beaten so many good players on the circuit, so I just thought about challenging myself. I kind of managed his speed but didn't fully match it. I would love to keep working on it.'
Despite being with Chennai Lions in 2024, Abhinandh couldn't get game-time. This time around, with U Mumba investing in him in the player auction, Abhinandh knew he had to grab the opportunity whenever it was presented to him. And he was ready to withstand the semifinal pressure as well.
'I will be ready. I have been telling myself to be ready all the time and the kind of advice I have received especially from Lilian (Bardet, the Frenchman who is the main men's singles player for U Mumba) is priceless,' Abhinandh said.
Will Abhinandh get a knock on his door Saturday afternoon – hours before its semifinal against defending champion Dempo Goa Challengers – yet again?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Sumit Nagal Exits Tampere Open In Semifinals
Sumit Nagal had also finished as a semifinalist in an event in Italy earlier this month. Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal fell short of reaching his first Challenger-level final of the season, losing a hard-fought battle against Sasha Gueymard Wayenburg in the semifinals of the Tampere Open in Tampere on Saturday. Ranked 306, Nagal was defeated 5-7, 2-6 by his French opponent, who is ranked 57 places below him, in the clay court event. At 5-5, 15-all, Wayenburg hit a forehand wide and long, followed by another forehand error, giving Nagal two breakpoints. Wayenburg responded by hitting deep into the corners, opening up the court for winners. He saved the first breakpoint with an overhead smash while Nagal made an unforced error, wasting the second chance. The Frenchman eventually held his serve, forcing Nagal to serve to push the opening set to a tie-breaker. However, Nagal netted a backhand return, giving Wayenburg his first set point. Nagal saved it with a forehand winner on his opponent's right flank. Wayenburg outwitted Nagal on the next point, leaving him wrong-footed and smashing a backhand winner to earn another set point. He secured the set with an overhead smash, pushing Nagal to the back of the court with deep hitting on both flanks. In the second set, Nagal had a chance to take the lead with breakpoints in the first game but could not capitalise. To make matters worse, he was down a breakpoint after hitting a backhand long at 30-all in the next game. Wayenburg did not miss the opportunity and took a 2-0 lead. The French player played smartly, often charging to the net to smash easy winners, quickly advancing to a 3-0 lead. From that point, it was one-way traffic. Nagal equalled his best performance of the 2025 season, having reached the semifinals of an event in Italy earlier this month. With PTI Inputs view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 21:01 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Nagal loses Tampere Open semifinals
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal missed on his first Challenger-level final of the season after going down fighting against Sasha Gueymard Wayenburg in the semifinals of the Tampere Open, on Saturday. Ranked 306, Nagal lost 5-7 2-6 to his French rival, placed 57 places below him, in the clay court event. At 5-5, 15-all, Wayenburg hit a forehand wide and long and followed that up with a forehand errors to hand the Indian two breakpoints. Wayenburg began to hit deep in the corners to open up the court for winners. He saved the first breakpoint with an overhead smash while Nagal made an unforced error to squander the second chance. The French eventually held his serve, bringing Nagal to serve to push the opening set to a tie-breaker. However, Nagal netted a backhand return to hand the Frenchman his first set point. The Indian saved that with a forehand winner on the right flank of his opponent. Wayenburg outwitted Nagal on the next point, leaving him wrong-footed to smash a backhand winner to earn another set point. Wayenburg pocketed the set with an overhead smash after pushing Nagal to the back of the court with deep hitting on both flanks. Nagal had an opportunity to nose ahead in the second set when he had breakpoints in the very first game but could not cash in. Making it worse, he was down a breakpoint himself after firing a backhand long at 30-all in the next game. Wayenburg, though, did not miss the chance and took a 2-0 lead. The French player played smartly and often charged to the net to smash easy winners. In no time, he was leading 3-0. From then on, it was a one-way traffic. Nagal matched his best show of the 2025 season as he had finished a semifinalist in an event in Italy early this month. PTI AT AM AT AM AM view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 20:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Economic Times
UFC Fight Night Saturday fight card, main event time, live stream: How to watch Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder?
UFC Fight Night featuring Robert Whittaker versus Reinier de Ridder for the main event is set to take place at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE. This comes as UFC has announced that Britain's Tom Aspinall will defend his UFC undisputed heavyweight title for the first time against Frenchman Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi on October fight night is scheduled for July 26, 2025. While prelims will start at noon, main card is scheduled at 3 pm (ET). The UFC fight will be live telecast at ABC and ESPN+ in the US. UFC Fight Card Main Card (ABC / ESPN+) Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder (Middleweight, main event) Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee (Bantamweight) Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov (Featherweight / Bantamweight crossover)Shara Magomedov vs. Marc‑André Barriault (Middleweight) UFC Fight card Undercard (Prelims on ESPN / ESPN+) Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight)Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci (Women's Strawweight)Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal (Welterweight)Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight)Mohammad Yahya vs. Steven Nguyen (Featherweight)Martin Buday vs. Marcus 'Buchecha' (Heavyweight)Davey Grant vs. Da'Mon Blackshear (Bantamweight) Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder: A high-profile middleweight clash with former champion Robert Whittaker facing the unbeaten former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder. Petr Yan vs Marcus McGhee: Former bantamweight champion Yan returns in a featured Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov and Shara Magomedov vs. Barriault round out a strong mix of established names and emerging vs Guskov: Light heavyweight matchup shaking up division hierarchy. FAQs Q1. What time does UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder start? A1. UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder takes place on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the US, prelims start at 12:00 p.m (ET), and main card begins at 3:00 p.m (ET). Q2. Who is fighting in the main event, and what's at stake? A2. The main event features Robert Whittaker, the former UFC Middleweight Champion, facing off against Reinier de Ridder, the former ONE Championship double champ (middleweight and light heavyweight).
