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ITTF Challenge

2018 ITTF Challenge, Belgium Open

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Challenge Series

Leading pairs advance but no shortages of surprises

24 Oct 2018

Progress as anticipated, the leading partnerships in the Men’s Doubles event at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Belgium Open in De Haan, duly reserved main draw places follow success on the evening of Wednesday 24th October.

However, there were pairings that advanced contrary to expectations.

An Jaehyun safely through to the main draw in partnership with Cho Seungmin (Photo: Ireneusz Kanabrodzki)

by Ian Marshall, Editor

The most prominent partnerships, Hong Kong’s Ng Pak Nam and Su Zhi progressed, as did the Korea Republic’s An Jaehyun and Cho Seungmin.

Ng Pak Nam and Su Zhi secured their main draw place courtesy of success in opposition to Italy’s Matteo Mutti and Carlo Rossi (8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7), a four games win; for An Jaehyun and Cho Seungmin life was more testing. They had to recover from a two games to nil deficit to overcome Israel’s Michael Tauber and Switzerland’s Lionel Weber (5-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6).

Progress as status advised; conversely Sweden’s Simon Berglund and Viktor Brodd were somewhat outsiders for a main draw reservation. It was the same for Japan’s Kakeru Sone and Yuta Tanaka, as well as for the host nation’s Laurens Devos and Olav Kosolosky.

Simon Berglund and Viktor Brodd progressed to the competition proper by beating India’s Arjun Ghosh and Manav Vikash Thakkar (11-8, 12-10, 11-4), at the same stage Kakeru Sone and Yuta Tanaka ousted Russia’s Nikita Artemenko and Vildan Gadiev (11-7, 11-6, 11-9).

However, arguably the performance of the concluding round was that enacted by Laurens Devos and Olav Kosolosky, they overcame the French pairing of Jules Rolland and Joe Seyfried in a most impressive manner, a straight game win being the verdict (11-6, 11-7, 11-7).

Similarly, Chile’s Alfonso Olave and Felipe Olivares raised eyebrows by beating India’s Sudhansu Grover and Sushmit Sriram (8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 17-15) to book a main draw place; a situation that to some extent applied to a second Latin American duo in the guise of Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre and Mexico’s Marcos Madrid. They beat Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho and Li Hon Ming (11-8, 12-10, 12-10).

Unexpected names in the main event, in the one remaining final preliminary round contest life was very much as predicted; Sweden’s Simon Ardvisson and Elias Ranefur ended the ambitions of Slovakia’s Daniel Orac and Jaukub Zelinka (11-9, 11-1, 11-6).

The first round, quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Men’s Doubles event will be played on Friday 26th October.

Challenge Series 2018 Belgium Open Cho Seungmin An Jaehyun Ng Pak Nam Su Zhi

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Day 3 - 2018 ITTF Challenge Belgium Open

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