by Ian Marshall, Editor

Direct entries to the third round for the top 16 names; Mattias Falck was the biggest name to fall in a tournament that is very different to all others, the pressure is immense, a place for the top three names in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is the reward. Mattias Falck was beaten by Russia’s Aleksandar Shibaev (11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8).

Defeat for the in-form Swede came after Dargo Jorgic, the no.15 seed, had lost to Russia’s Kirill Skachkov (8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2, 11-13, 12-10) and Liam Pitchford, the no.4 seed, had suffered at the hands of Panagiotis Gionis of Greece (11-6, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10).

Soon after, Slovakia’s Wang Yang ended the hopes Tiago Apolonia, the no.13 seed (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8), whilst at the same time Slovenia’s Bojan Tokic accounted for Daniel Habesohn (13-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6). Journey’s end for Daniel Habesohn, it was the same for Alvaro Robles, who like Mattias Falck had been a silver medallist in Budapest, reaching the men’s doubles final in partnership with Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu. He was beaten by Ukraine’s Kou Lei (11-6, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10).

Upsets but not for Germany’s Timo Boll, the top seed, nor for colleague Dimitrij Ovtcharov, the no.3 seed; in his opening contest Timo Boll beat Poland’s Jakub Dyjas (11-7, 12-14, 11-4, 11-1, 14-12), Dimitrij Ovtcharov accounted for Ioannis Sgouropoulos og Greece (11-5, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3).

Shocks in the third round of the men’s singles event, in the same round of the women’s singles competition it was more earth tremours rather than earthquakes, the one common factor being the notable successes for defensive players. Seven backspin artistes enter the arena, seven emerged successful. The host nation’s Viktoria Pavlovich, Ukraine’s Ganna Gaponova and Sweden’s Linda Bergström all caused upsets. Poland’s Li Qian, Russia’s Polina Mikhailova, Germany’s Han Ying and Li Jie of the Netherlands all prevailed as anticipated.

Viktoria Pavlovich caused the biggest upset in what was arguably the match of the day; she overcame Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the no.5 seed (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 10-12, 13-11). Next in line came Ganna Gaponova who beat Britt Eerland of the Netherlands, the no.9 seed (10-12, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8), followed by Linda Bergström who defeated Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova, the no.11 seed (13-11, 11-9, 11-8, 13-11).

Somewhat differently, Poland’s Li Qian, the reigning European champion and no.7 seed, beat Russia’s Yana Noskova (11-9, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9), Polina Mikhailova, the no.12 seed, ousted Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin (11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4), Han Ying, the no.13 seed, ended the progress of Luxembourg’s Sarah de Nutte (11-6, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4). Similarly, Li Jie prevailed against Stéphanie Loueillette of France (12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2).

Surprises caused by players who use combination rackets, there was also an upset caused by a player of the same ilk but an attacker, the long pimpled rubber on the backhand of Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin being used to good effect. In the third round of the women’s singles event she accounted for Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska, the no.10 seed and runner up at last year’s Liebherr 2018 European Championships. Yang Xiaoxin prevailed in five games (8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5).

Early than expected departures in the third round of the women’s singles event for notable names but not for the most notable of all, the top four seeds. Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the top seed, beat Laura Gasnier of France (11-6, 13-11, 11-7, 11-8); Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, the no.2 seed, accounted for Belgium’s Nathalie Marchetti (11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8). Likewise, Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm, the no.3 seed, overcame Poland’s Natalia Partyka (5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8), Germany’s Petrissa Solja halted the aspirations of Turkey’s Ozge Yilmaz(11-6, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8).

A day of surprises, a day that both ended and started on a high note for Aleksandar Shibaev. In the opening round of the mixed doubles, the event that started play, he partnered Polina Mikhailova to first round success against Austria’s Stefan Fegerl and Sofia Polcanova, the no.2 seeds (6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3).

Defeat for the Stefan Fegerl and Sofia Polcanova against the odds, it was the same for the same for Hungary’s Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel, the no.5 seeds, as it was for Laurens Tromer and Britt Eerland of the Netherlands, the no.8 seeds. Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel lost to the host nation’s Pavel Platonov and Nadezhda Bogdanova (11-8, 11-3, 11-3); Laurens Tromer and Britt Eerland experienced defeat at the hands of Italy’s Niagol Stoyanov and Giorgia Piccolin (11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8).

Unexpected first round mixed doubles outcomes, for the other leading pairs it was success. Notably, Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova, the top seeds, beat Luka Mladenovic and Ni Xia Lian (11-9, 11-6, 17-15), Germany’s Patrick Franziska and Petrissa Solja, the no.3 seeds, overcame Mattias Falck and Matilda Ekholm (14-12, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10). Likewise, the French partnership of Tristan Flore and Laura Gasnier proved too strong for Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Natalia Partyka (11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 7-11, 11-5).

Play commences on Monday 24th June with the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles followed by the women’s singles fourth round and men’s singles fourth round matches.

Quotes of the Day

Minsk 2019 2nd European Games: Quotes of the Day (Saturday 22nd June)
Minsk 2019 2nd European Games: Quotes of the Day (Sunday 23rd June)

Results

Minsk 2019 2nd European Games – Table Tennis: Latest Results

Information

Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Qualification Procedure
Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Schedule of Play

Seeding

Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Seeding – Men’s Singles
Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Seeding – Women’s Singles
Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Seeding – Mixed Doubles

Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Special Team Ranking Men (December 2018)
Minsk 2019 European Games – Table Tennis: Special Team Ranking Women (December 2018)