by Simon Daish
Messe Düsseldorf will host the action which officially commences on Monday 29th May, with table tennis stars from all over the world set to make the journey to Germany.
Ruta Paskauskiene is one of three Lithuanian players set to participate in the Women’s Singles draw, and the 40-year-old competitor is aiming to put her club season behind her and shift her entire focus to be ready for the upcoming World Championships.
“This season I played in Hungary. We also played in the Champions League and ETTU Cup, but this season was not the best for me. Right now I’m going to Serbia for a training camp. That’s my preparation for the World Championships”, Ruta Paskauskiene.
Much of Ruta Paskauskiene’s success has come at the European Championships, winning seven gold medals at the event along with two silver and eight bronze medals.
The Lithuanian has also proven to be an excellent doubles player throughout her career with Ruta Paskauskiene claiming four Mixed Doubles titles at past European Championships alongside Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic, and Paskauskiene believes that her best shot at success in Düsseldorf will come in this category.
“Last season at the European Championships I won bronze in the Mixed Doubles with Aleksandar Karakasevic. So my hope is to play good in the World Championships as well. Last time at the World Championship we had a very bad draw. We played against Chinese opponents in the first round of the doubles. I hope this year will be better. So all expectations are for the Mixed Doubles”, Ruta Paskauskiene.
Ruta Paskauskiene has enjoyed a fantastic run in World Championships history, having made her debut at the 1993 event held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Despite her amazing appearance record at the competition a Round of 32 finish is Paskauskiene’s personal best performance at an individuals World Championships in the Women’s Singles event, a feat she achieved 14 years ago at Paris 2003.
However, Paskauskiene’s experience could prove highly important at the 2017 World Championships and even if the Women’s Singles crown does turn out to be too difficult a challenge to overcome, the Lithuanian could well end up enjoying a successful campaign in the doubles competitions.
