by Ian Marshall, Editor
Commencing play as either the first or second seeded team in each group, progress to the knock-out stage is the prediction; however, there were those outfits that did not enjoy such a prestigious position that progressed and defied the odds.
In the men’s team events, against the odds Spain’s Iker Sastre and Miguel Todelo advanced to the semi-final round in class 1-2, as did Serbia’s Goran Perlic and Boris Storljkovic.
Likewise, in class 6, Germany represented by Tim Laue and Benedikt Müller progressed to the last four as did Marios Chatzikytiakos and Georgios Mouchthis of Greece. Advancement contrary to expectations, it was the very same in class 8; Sweden’s Fabian Rignell and Tobias Andersson reached to the penultimate round, a situation the also applied in class 10 to the Montenegro combination of Filip Radovic and Luka Bakic.
Meanwhile, in the women’s team events, defying seeding, Norway’s Aida Dahlen and Nora Korneliussen reserved a place in the round that guarantees a medal.
Finalists known
The semi-final stage reached; there are those events where the finalists are known, those who will contest gold and silver.
In the men’s team competition in a group organised event, Turkey’s Abdullah Ozturk and Nesim Turan remain unbeaten as does the Polish partnership of Rafal Liz and Krzystof Zylke.
Likewise in class 7 and class 11, the title contenders are known. At the semi-final stage in class 7 Spain’s Jordi Morales and Alvaro Valera recorded a 2-1 win against Poland’s Maksym Chudzicki and Michal Deigsler; in the opposite half of the draw Denmark’s Peter Rsenmeier and Henrik Brammar secured a 2-0 success when facing Slovakia’s Miroslav Jambor and Tomas Valach.
Finalists known, it is the same in class 11; the French pairing of Lucas Creange and Antoine Zhao claimed a 2-0 win against Poland’s Marek Chybinski and Damian Fira, by the same margin in the counterpart semi-final Germany’s Dirk Hartmann and Floria Hartig accounted for Russia’s Alexander Efremov and Alexey Kudryavtsev.
Unbeaten teams
Similarly, in the women’s team events, the top two names are known. In a group organised event in class 1-3, Croatia’s Andela Muzinic and Helen Dretar remain unbeaten as do Turkey’s Negriz Altintas and Hatice Duman.
It is a situation prevalent in class 4-5 but is rather different in class 11. In the former, Serbia’s Nada Matic and Borislava Peric-Rankovic remain unbeaten, a scenario that applies also to Sweden’s Anna-Carin Ahlquist and Ingela Lundbäck. Significantly, in class 11, with one more fixture to complete Russia’s Anzhelika Kosacheva and Maria Galkina are the only unbeaten pairing. They are home and dry; runner up spot is undoubtedly destined for the Turkish combination of Ebru Acer and Sumeyra Turk.
Play in Helsngborg concludes on Saturday 21st September.
