Gold in 2020 on the Costa Brava, the host nation’s Luka Bakic repeated the feat on Friday 3rd June at the ITTF Montenegro Para Championships 2022 in Podgorica, once again he emerged victorious in men’s singles class 10.
It mean that at open international tournaments the 30 year old won his tenth medal; rather more experienced, Norway’s Tommy Urhaug, who will celebrate his 42nd birthday on Thursday 16th June, collected his 201st such award!
Organised on a group basis, Luka Bakic maintained the form of the previous day when he had beaten colleague and top seed, Filip Radovic (10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4); he concluded his schedule by overcoming Spain’s Jorge Cardona in straight games (11-6, 11-4, 11-2).
Filip Radovic duly finished in second position with Austria’s Krisztian Gardos third.
Success for Luka Bakic was somewhat contrary to expectations, for Tommy Urhaug it was as per status. Competing in men’s singles class 5, the leading name on duty, he overcame Serbia’s Mitar Palikuca (11-5, 5-11, 11-5, 11-3) to secure gold.
Good form from both Luka Bakic and Tommy Urhaug maintained throughout; for Poland’s Rafal Lis, it was somewhat a return to form.
Present in men’s singles class 4, on the first day of play, the no.2 seed, he finished in second position in his group, losing to Slovakia’s Andrej Meszaros (11-4, 11-6, 4-11, 11-7).
On the second day of action, he made amends. At the semi-final stage he accounted for colleague, Krszysztof Zylka, the top seed (7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10), before avenging the previous day reverse. He beat Andrej Meszaros to arrest the title (11-5, 11-9, 11-5).
A surprise outcome, it was the same in women’s singles class 3; in a group event, Italy’s Carlotta Ragazzini concluded her programme unbeaten by overcoming Croatia’s Andela Muzinic, the top seed (11-2, 11-8, 14-12).
Andela Muzinic ended play in second place ahead of Serbia’s Sanja Mijatovic.
Otherwise the winners were very much as predicted.
In the men’s singles Poland’s Rafal Czuper (class 2) and Germany’s Thomas Brüchle (class 3) emerged victorious as did Spain Alvaro Valera (class 6) and Jordi Morales (class 7).
Likewise, for Belgium’s Marc Ledoux (class 8) and Israel’s Aviv Gordon (class 9) it was the top step of the podium.
Meanwhile, as expected in the women’s singles, it was gold for Serbia in the guise of Ana Prvulovic (class 1-2) and Borislava Peric-Rankovic (class 7-9); a situation that applied also to Norway’s Aida Dahlen (class 7-9).
Attention now turns to the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events; play concludes on Saturday 4th June.
