by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Dina Meshref finished her initial phase group contests in first place ahead of Portugal’s Leila Oliveira and Algeria’s Katia Kessaci. However, in the second stage group contests, she was beaten by Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin in a close seven games contest (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 10-12, 11-8). Shed had to settle for second place in the group ahead of Italy’s Chiara Colatoni and Ozge Yilmaz.

Defeat but later she extracted revenge; at the final hurdle she beat Yang Xiaoxin in five games to arrest the title (11-4, 11-2, 13-11, 5-11, 11-7).

Earlier at the quarter-final stage Dina Meshref had accounted for Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin (12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8), prior to securing her place in the final courtesy of success in opposition to Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku (16-14, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 11-5).

In the opposite half of the draw, Yang Xiaoxin had ended Spanish hopes. In the round of the last she overcome Maria Xiao (8-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6) prior to defeating Galia Dvorak (11-4, 11-4, 11-13, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4).

Disappointment for Galia Dvorak but there was more than consolation; she beat Izabela Lupulesku (6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7) to secure the bronze medal.

Attention now turns to the Women´s Teams events; play concludes on Saturday 30th June.

Tarragona 2018 Mediterranean Games: Full Results