by Ian Marshall, Editor
The no.2 seed, Matias Pino Llorca claimed the Class 6 title, in a group organized event he finished ahead of Germany’s Thomas Rau, colleague Ignacio Torres and Costa Rica’s Domingo Arguello, player and competition organizer. Kazakhstan’s Kanat Ussenov concluded matters in fifth position.
Likewise in Class 7, it was success for the second seed at the final expense of the top seed. After overcoming Venezuela’s Jean-Pierre Giraud (11-4, 11-3, 11-5), Masachika Inoue accounted for the Czech Republic’s Daniel Horhut (11-9, 11-9, 11-9) to secure the top prize.
Also in Class 8, the second seed claimed gold. In final Alexei Saunin beat Costa Rica’s Steven Chinchilla (11-8, 11-5, 11-9), the surprise semi-final winner on opposition to Russia’s Artem Iakolev (11-8, 12-10, 13-11, 8-11, 11-4). In the counterpart penultimate round duel, Aleksei Saunin had ousted Canada’s Ian Kent (14-12, 5-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-3).
Problems for top seeds, not for Iuri Nozdrunov and Ivan Karabec; in Class 9, after recovering from a two games to nil deficit to beat the Czech Republic’s David Pulpan by the narrowest of decisions (8-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-4, 13-11), Iuri Nozdrunov accounted for Brazil’s Lucas Dos Santos to claim gold (11-2, 11-6, 11-8).
Meanwhile, in Class 10, Ivan Karabec secured the top prize at the final expense of Colombia’s Alvaro Puerto (11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7), a player very much in form; at the semi-final stage he had beaten Brazil’s Claudio Massad, the no.2 seed (5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-1). In the adjacent semi-final, Ivan Karabec had overcome Chile’s Manuel Echaveguren (11-8, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4).
Gold for Russia in the Men’s Singles events, in Women’s Singles Class 6-8, it was gold and silver. In the final Victoriya Safonova, the top seed, beat Maliak Alieva, the no.2 seed, to claim the top prize (11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3). At the semi-final stage Victoriya Safonova had ousted Brazil’s Elem Alves da Silva (11-1, 11-6, 11-3), Maliak Alieva had accounted for Costa Rica’s Aneth Araya (11-2, 11-2, 11-5).
The individual events over; the team competitions now start; play concludes on Friday 7th December.
2018 Copa Costa Rica Para Open: Latest Results and Main Event Draws