by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor  

In group organised competitions, Gu Xiaodan won Class 3-4; Ioana-Monica Tepelea emerged victorious in Class 6-10.

Furthermore, neither player surrendered a single individual game as Gu Xiaodan concluded matters ahead of colleague Yang Zhonghui and Great Britain’s Lucie Bouron; whilst Norway’s Nora Korneliussen, followed by the host nation’s Emila Constantin and Tabita Vulturar, finished next in line to Ioana-Monica Tepelea.

Likewise, in the Men’s Singles Class 6, Great Britain’s Conor McAdam justified his top seeded position to finish in first place ahead of Japan’s Kazuki Shichino, Serbia’s Luka Andrasic and Germany’s Thilo Sonnenschien.

Three events, the winners as status predicted; it was the same in Men’s Singles Class 8 where Artem Iakovlev beat Norways’s Pablo Jacobsen at the final hurdle (11-6, 11-7, 11-3).

However, in the remaining events, there were surprise outcomes.

Currently no world ranking, the Slovak Republic’s Boris Travnicek won Men’s Singles Class 2-5; the one event further event played in two stages.

He finished in first place in his group ahead of Norway’s Sebastian Vegsund, likewise a player with no global status. Notably both beat top seed, Japan’s Genki Saito; Boris Travnicek in three straight games (11-7, 11-8, 11-8), Sebastian Vegsund in a full distance five games (7-11, 3-11, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10).

Places in the semi-finals reserved; after Boris Travnicek had overcome colleague Lukas Klizan (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-3) and Sebastian Vegsund had ousted Great Britain’s Daniel Bullen (7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10), the two met again in the final.

In the group stage Boris Travnicek had won in straight games (11-9, 12-10, 11-3); in the final it was a much more exacting encounter; he needed the full five games to ensure victory (10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6).

Meanwhile, in Men’s Singles Class 9, Great Britain’s Craig Allen finished ahead of Russian top seed, Vladislav Balobanov with the German duo of Laurenz Fehling and Elias Monden in third and fourth places respectively.

Similarly, in Men’s Singles Class 10, it was second spot, for the no.1 seed; Great Britain’s Lawrence John ended matters behind colleague Shae Thakker. Third place was secured by Luxembourg’s Chris Peters with Russia’s Nikita Perevozchikov in fourth spot.

Individual events completed; attention now turns to the team competitions; play concludes on Wednesday 22nd March.

Romania International Para Junior Open: Draws and Latest Results