by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
In Class 1, Tom Matthews was beaten by Korea’s Park Sungjoo (12-10, 12-10, 11-3), in Class 4, Abdullah Ozturk lost to Poland’s Krszysztof Zylka (7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 13-15, 11-9).
Pertinently, Park Sungjoo and Krszysztof Zylka both remained unbeaten to emerge in top spot, for Tom Matthews and Abdullah Ozturk it was their only defeats, thus second places and progress to the main draw were secured.
However, for Valentin Baus it was farewell; he finished in third place in his group behind Indonesia’s Agus Sutanto and Turkey’s Hamza Caliskan.
Surprises and there were more in the Men’s Singles wheelchair categories. In Class 2, Poland’s Rafal Czuper, the no.3 seed, was beaten by Mexico’s Victor Reyes (11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 9-11, 13-11), Brazil’s Guilherme Marcio da Costa, the no.4 seed, suffered at the hands of Ukraine’s Oleksandr Yezyk (7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11). Similarly, the Czech Republic’s Jiri Suchanek, the no.5 seed, lost to Frenchman Vincent Boury (6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4).
Upsets, it was the same in Class 3; Germany’s Thomas Bruchle, the no.3 seed, was beaten by Romania’s Dacian Makszin (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8), Thailand’s Anurak Laowong, the no.8 seed, suffered defeat at the hands of Ireland’s Colin Judge (10-12, 11-5, 14-12, 6-11, 13-11).
Meanwhile, Class 4 was no different; Egypt’s Mohamed Eid Saleh, the no.3 seed, was beaten by Indonesia’s Adyos Astan (11-13, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-2), Poland’s Rafal Lis, the no.5 seed, lost to Slovakia’s Peter Mihalik (12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 19-17, 11-7).
Defeats but for all with the exception on Valentin Baus, there was a saving grace; second place in the group and thus progress to the main draw was achieved.
Play in the individual events concludes on Thursday 10th May.
2018 Slovenia Para Open: Latest Results
