by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Alexandru Manole and Alina Zaharia secured Mixed Doubles gold for Romania beating Joe Seyfried and Oceane Guisnel by the narrowest of margins in the fifth and deciding game (12-10, 11-7, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9), before just over one hour later, Joe Seyfried and Oceane Guisnel responded to reserve the top step of the Mixed Team podium for France.
The Mixed Team competition follows a similar formula to the Youth Olympic Games; Women’s Singles followed by Men’s Singles; a deciding Mixed Doubles follows should the overall score in the fixture be level at one match apiece.
A two-nil outcome was the result in the final with Oceane Guisnel giving France the perfect start by beating Alina Zaharia (4-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8), before Joe Seyfried accounted for Alexandru Manole (11-8, 11-6, 11-9) to seal the victory.
Switzerland represented by Gaël Vendé and Salomé Claire Simonet alongside Lebanon’s Mohamad Hamie and Malak Khoury ended proceeding as Mixed Team bronze medallists. Both suffered two-nil semi-final defeats; the Swiss at the hands of France, the Lebanese when beaten by the Romanians.
Likewise, in the Mixed Doubles event, it was bronze for Gaël Vendé and Salomé Claire Simonet; the previous day in the penultimate round, they had experienced defeat at the hands of Alexandru Manole and Alina Zaharia (11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 1-15). In the adjacent half of the draw, at the semi-final stage Joe Seyfried and Oceane Guisnel had accounted for Vietnam’s Bui The Nghia and Pham Thi Thu Huong (11-8, 11-9, 12-10).
Two events remain: Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles. They will run concurrently.
On Tuesday 25th July, the preliminary groups will be played; the players finishing in first place will qualify for the main draw, which will be played to the quarter-final round.
The following day on Wednesday 26th July, the quarter and semi-finals will be completed; the finals will be enacted on Thursday 27th July, the day the table tennis events conclude.
2017 Francophone Games: Results – Mixed Doubles (Monday 24th July)
2017 Francophone Games: Results – Mixed Team (Monday 24th July)
2017 Francophone Games: Draw – First Stage Men’s Singles (Tuesday 25th July)
2017 Francophone Games: Draw – First Stage Women’s Singles (Tuesday 25th July)