The player the previous week to cause the biggest upset on the opening day of play at the SQY French Para Open was Jonas Hansson; in Lasko on Wednesday 11th May, the Swede did the same again!
In Saint Quentin en Yvelines, in the group stage of proceedings, he beat Brazil’s Israel Stroh, the top seed (11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10).
Once again competing in men’s singles class 7, at the Slovenia Para Open in his opening contest, he overcame the leading name on duty, Jean-Paul Montanus of the Netherlands (9-11,11-9,11-7, 14-12).
Good form maintained, Jonas Hansson remained unbeaten to book a quarter-final place; Jean-Paul Montanus finished in runners up spot and thus progressed to the main draw where in the opening round he confronts Spain’s Jordi Morales.
Defeat for Jean-Paul Montanus, for Belgium’s Laurens Devos, the top seed in men’s singles class 9, it was a technical knock-out, no place in the main draw.
After beating Spain’s Anders Cepas (11-9, 11-3, 11-7), he was forced to withdraw from proceedings; Anders Cepas duly concluded matters in first position ahead of Hungary’s Dezso Bereczki.
Difficult times for Laurens Devos, in the women’s singles, the player to experience not the best of fortunes was Japan’s Kanami Furukawa, the top seed in class 11.
She ended the day without a win to her name. She was beaten by both the Czech Republic’s Denisa Macurova (8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-4) and by Lea Ferney of France (11-8, 13-11, 12-14, 11-9).
Lea Ferney duly topped the group ahead of Denisa Macurova.
Otherwise, it was a day with due alarm for the leading names.
In the men’s singles wheelchair categories, Korea Republic’s Kim Hyeonuk (class 1) duly booked a semi-final place; Frenchman Fabien Lamirault (class 2) and Turkey’s Abdullah Ozturk (class 4), alongside Germany’s Thomas Schmidberger (class 3) and Valentin Baus (class 5) all advanced safely to the quarter-finals.
Smooth progress, it was little different in the men’s singles standing competitions. Last eight places were secured by Spain’s Alvaro Valera (class 6), Ukraine’s Viktor Didukh (class 8), Poland’s Patryk Chojnowski (class 10) and Hungary’s Peter Palos (class 11).
Likewise, in the women’s singles wheelchair events, Italy’s Giada Rossi (class 1-2) progressed to the penultimate round without alarm, as did Sweden’s Ingela Lundback (class 5).
Meanwhile, Korea Republic’s Yoon Jiyu (class 3) and Serbia’s Borislava Peric-Rankovic (class 4), secured quarter-final positions.
Not to be overshadowed, in the women’s singles standing categories, last four places were reserved by Ukraine’s Maryna Lytovchenko (class 6), Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands (class 7), Germany’s Julianne Wolf (class 8) and Hungary’s Alexa Svitacs (class 9).
Somewhat differently, in class 10, a group organised event; Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre ended the day unbeaten.
Play in the men’s singles and women’s singles events concludes on Saturday 14th May.
