by Ian Marshall
Following doubles success for the British pair (11-8, 11-8, 12-10); after receiving treatment from physiotherapist, Morag Sheridan, at the end of the third game, the 21 year old recovered from a two games to one deficit and a 1-7 arrears in the fourth (6-11, 11-6, 12-14, 12-10, 11-6) to secure a British victory.
“The problem was more my calf through my disability, because we haven’t played an accumulative amount of matches with doubles and singles my leg just said no. So I had to find a different way to win because movement is usually my biggest asset and I had to really dig in.
Mat (coach Mathew Kenny) and Ashley had both told me that heavy spin was a big factor in beating him so I just thought that every opportunity I got to attack I would go with heavy spin rather than power. I could see as it got a lot tighter in the fourth he was going to make those mistakes so the tactics from my team mate and coach got me over the line in that fourth set.” Joshua Stacey
Success for Great Britain, in class 9-10 it was the same for Ukraine’s Lev Kats and Ivan Mai as it was for China’s Lian Hao and Zhao Yi Qing.
Lev Kats and Ivan Mai recorded a 2-0 win against Italy’s Mohamed Kalem and Matteo Parenzan, by the same margin Lian Hao and Zhao Yi Qing overcame Indonesia’s Komet Akbar and David Jacobs.
Meanwhile, in the opening round fixtures in men’s team class 4-5, Nigeria’s Ahmed Koleosho and Isau Ogunkunle secured a 2-1 win against Argentina’s Gabriel Copola and Mauro Depergola; the man of the moment being Ahmed Koleosho. He partnered Isau Ogunkunle to doubles success (11-3, 13-11, 11-7), before in the vital third match of the fixture overcoming Mauro Depergola (11-3, 5-11, 13-11, 11-5) to seal victory.
Similarly, it was a full distance success for Poland’s Rafal Lis and Krzystof Zylka in opposition to Mitar Palikuca and Goran Perlic.
Rafal Lis emerged the mainstay of the success; he partnered Krzystof Zylka to doubles success (11-6, 11-8, 11-3), prior to overcoming Goran Perlic (11-4, 11-5, 11-1) to seal the victory.
Closely fought contests, in the one remaining opening round fixture in men’s team class 4-5 Slovakia’s Peter Mihalik and Boris Travincek claimed a 2-0 win against Egypt’s Ayman Kamal Zenaty and Mohamed Sameh Saleh.
