by Simon Daish

Before the final had even got underway Jonathan Groth and Patrick Franziska were considered to be favourites to succeed in the match, having proven to be a winning combination at both the 2016 Zagreb Open and the 2016 European Championships in the Men’s Doubles category.

The partnership of Fang Yinchi and Zhu Cheng went into the final after a surprise win against Korea Republic’s Kim Minhyeok and Park Ganghyeon in the quarter-finals and picking up a semi-finals victory over Austria’s Chen Weixing and Germany’s Ruwen Filus. But Fang and Zhu were to face a difficult challenge with the prospect of the current European champions up next for them in the final.

Groth and Franzika made their intentions of winning the gold medal clear from the start of the final round, taking the opening game in style which set a precedent for the remainder of the tie as the mixed nationality duo set themselves well on the way to glory.

One of the standout aspects of the final was the difference in the level of control, with Groth and Franziska playing the steadier Table Tennis of the two pairs which reflected in the end score; Groth and Franziska never looked like ending up on the wrong side of the result and when the combination registered two more ends to their names the straight games triumph was achieved (11-4, 11-6, 11-7).

Yet more success for the Men’s Doubles partnership of Jonathan Groth and Patrick Franziska and now the question to be asked is how much further up the performance ladder can they take their game?

Latest Results

Sunday 13th November: Men’s Doubles – Main Draw