Success for South America
Women’s Doubles: Preliminary Round One
Just two matches required there was success for the South American combination of Argentina’s Camila Arguelles and Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes as there was for Japan’s Haruna Ojio and Yumena Soma.
Both pairs accounted for Slovenian opponents. Camila Arguelles and Nathaly Paredes and Nathaly Paredes beat Tjasa Novak and Lara Opeka (11-7, 11-7, 11-9), Haruna Ojio and Yumena Soma accounted for Lea Paulin and Ana Tofant (11-5, 11-4, 11-9).
San Marino and Serbia experience differing emotions
Men’s Doubles: Preliminary Round One
Close call were the order of proceedings with San Marino heavily involved. Mattia Berardi and Mattias Mongusti lost narrowly to Serbia’s Lorenco Lupulesku and Nikola Strugarevic (11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-2, 12-10). Conversely, Federico Giardi and Lorenzo Ragni accounted for the combination of England’s Matthew Daish and Norway’s Adam Wetzel (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8).
Success for a narrow margin for Serbia, there was also agonizing defeat; by the minimal margin Aleksa Gacev and Nikola Marinkovic suffered at the hands of Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho and Li Hon Ming (11-7, 8-11, 11-13, 11-1, 11-9).
Mixed fortunes for Hong Kong
Under 21 Women’s Singles: Round One
Runner up the previous week in Belgrade, Hong Kong’s Mak Tze Wing made a successful start in her campaign to climb one step higher; she beat Canada’s Alicia Cote (11-6, 11-6, 11-6). Similarly there was success for Zhang Wenjing, she accounted for the host nation’s Aleksandra Vovk (9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9).
However, for Liu Qiu there was a shock defeat; listed at no.35 on the under 21 women’s world rankings, she was beaten by Croatia’s Andrea Pavlovic, named at no.223 (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8).
Tijana Jokic and Daniela Ortega cause upsets
Under 21 Women’s Singles: Round One
Presently not listed on the current under 21 women’s world rankings, Serbia’s Tijana Jokic and Chile’s Daniel Ortega caused the biggest upsets in the opening round.
Tijana Tokic beat Romania’s Adina Diaconu (7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9), Daniela Ortega accounted for India’s Moumita Dutta (12-10, 17-15, 11-5). On the May world under 21 world rankings, Moumita Dutta is at no.26, Adina Diaconu one place lower at no.27.
Comprehensive wins
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
The leading names on qualification duty all made positive starts in their quest for main draw places.
Ewout Oostwouder beat San Marino’s Federico Giardi (11-3, 11-9, 11-9), Thailand’s Padasak Tanviriyavechakul accounted for Croatia’s Filip Cipin (8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-2); India’s Amalraj Anthony overcame Canada’s Matthew Lehmann (11-6, 11-6, 11-5). Similarly, Sweden’s Truls Moregard prevailed against a potentially difficult opponent in the guise of Zhang Kai of the United States (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 17-15).
“Very good so far, this was my first match, it was a tough match against a Chinese, I managed to win 3-1; it’s great so far.” Truls Moregard
Leading name, tense starts
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
India’s Manav Vikash Thakkar, Puerto Rico’s Daniel Gonzalez and Japan’s Hibiki Tazoe, the highest rated players in their respective groups, all made successful starts to their campaigns but all were tested; all needed the full five games to secure victories.
Manav Vikash Thakkar eventually overcame Peru’s Johan Chavez (9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5), Daniel Gonzalez resisted a brave effort by Croatia’s Filip Zeljko before succeeding by the very narrowest of margins (11-8, 13-11, 5-11, 4-11, 11-9). Meanwhile, in a contest that ebbed and flowed, Hibiki Tazoe eventually overcame Serbia’s Nikola Marinkovic (8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7).
Different fortunes
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
Through to the main draw very much against expectations at the recent Liebherr 2019 World Championships; in Otocec for England’s Tom Jarvis, it was also against expectations, the only difference being that this time it was defeat.
Listed at no.196 on the current men’s world rankings, in his opening match he was beaten by Romania’s Alexandru Manole, named at no.1046, position that belies his level (11-8, 11-8, 11-6); the loss means that Tom Jarvis cannot now gain first place in the group. Earlier in the day Alexandru Manole experienced a five games defeat at the hands of Iran’s Amir Hossein Hodaei (9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3). Tom Jarvis and Amir Hossein Hodaei meet in the concluding group contest.
Carlo Rossi in form
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
Italy’s Carlo Rossi emerged the first player to book his place in the main draw. Listed at no.913 on the current men’s world rankings, he beat Slovakia’s Tibor Spanik (11-7. 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5), before overcoming Denmark’s Tobias Rasmussen (11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5) to secure top spot in the group.
Presently on the men’s world rankings, Tibor Spanik is listed at no.530, Tobias Rasmussen at no.294.
Chinese Taipei duo secure first places
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Chiao and Huang Yi-Hua, commenced the day the lowest ranked players in their respective groups; both ended the day unbeaten, first place in the group secured and progress to the main draw.
A generation apart, they concluded their initial phase itinerary by overcoming the lead name. Huang Yu-Chiao, 23 years old, beat Russia’s Valeria Shcherbatykh (11-7, 11-7, 11-5); Huang Yi-Hua, now 34 years of age defeated Hungary’s Bernadett Balint (9-11, 7-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-7).
Honomi Nakamori caused biggest upset of day
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
Only 15 years old, Japan’s Honomi Nakamori caused the biggest upset to date; she concluded her group stage matches by beating Romania’s Adina Diaconu, the runner up earlier in the year in Spain, by the narrowest of margins (11-7, 11-13, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9) to secure first place in the group and thus progress to the main draw.
Indians in form
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee and Krittwika Roy, the third highest rated players in their groups, booked main draw places by overcoming the highest listed.
Sutirtha Mukherjee beat Puerto Rico’s Melanie Diaz (11-13, 13-11, 11-6, 11-8), Kriiwika Roy accounted for Austria’s Karoline Mischek (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8).
In the women’s singles event, players finishing in first place in each group advance to the main draw plus three “Lucky Losers” drawn at random from the second placed players
Commanding display
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
Dominant from start to finish Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tai-Wei stormed through his opening Group 36 fixture, prevailing over Mexico’s Layan Neumann by a 3-0 margin (11-5, 11-5, 11-3).
Jules Rolland responds
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
France’s Jules Rolland was forced to recover from a slow start in his opening group stage encounter, fighting back from a game down on his way to a 3-1 win at the expense of Ukraine’s Yuriy Nadolnyy (8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7).
Belgrade runner-up starts strong in Otocec
Men’s Singles – Group Stage
Silver medallist at the recent ITTF Challenge event in Belgrade, Abdel-Kader Salifou has made a fine start to his qualification campaign in Otocec with the French star beating Italian opponent Alessandro Baciocchi 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4).
Mixed results for North American hopefuls
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
USA’s Tian Ye and Zhang Kai opened their campaigns with winning displays, successfully accounting for Filip Cipin (10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9) and Siddhesh Pande (12-10, 11-9, 12-10). However, fellow North American Matthew Lehmann didn’t fare as well with the Canadian losing out to Andrei Putuntica across four games (11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-4).
Convincing win for Haruna Ojio
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
Haruna Ojio has established the early advantage in Group 25 with the Japanese player negotiating her opening encounter in convincing style, beating Denmark’s Izabell Norlem in straight games (11-3, 11-2, 11-2).
Fine start for French competitors
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
France’s Oceane Guisnel and Marie Migot are off to the perfect start in their respective groups, posting 3-0 victories over Ines Diendorfer (11-9, 11-8, 11-7) and Karolina Mynarova (11-5, 19-17, 11-7).
Ana Tofant strikes first for hosts
Women’s Singles: Group Stage
The first Slovenian to emerge victorious in Otocec is Ana Tofant: facing opposition from Romania’s Arina Singeorzan in Group 7, Tofant needed just three games to put the host nation on the board (12-10, 11-9, 11-2).
Qualification begins
The opening day of qualification at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Slovenia Open is here – take a detailed look at the day’s schedule below:
