Europe Top-16 Cup | 30 Jan 2016

Kristin SILBEREISEN and Bernadette SZOCS will play in Gondomar

ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup

 

The most prestigues tournament in Europe with a long lasting tradition that dates all the way back to the 1971, firstly as Europe Top 12 and now as ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup, will be held next week in Portugal’s city of Gondomar (5th February to 7th February 2016). Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Austria’s LIU Jia, the reigning champions, will defend their respective Men’s and Women’s titles won last year in Baku.

 

Only few days before the start, the list of the Women's tournament was slightly changed. Due the health reason Irene IVANCAN of Germany was forced to withdraw. The winner of the European Championships silver medal in 2011, is replaced by Kristin SILBEREISEN, the member of the bronze German team from the World Championships in Moscow and two time bronze medalist in Doubles Event at the European Championships. Due the injury LI Qian of Poland will also be absent. Young Romanian star Bernadette SZOCS will replace her.

 

The Men's list remains the same.

 

The top seeded, European Championships and European Games champion, OVTCHAROV will fight for the third title at the ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup; before Baku, Dimitrij won in Villeurbanne in 2012. The five times winner of the Top 12 events Timo BOLL of Germany is seeded no. two, followed by Lausanne's gold medalist Marcos FREITAS, the host nation favorites. Seeded no. four is the player who participated 18 times and won four titles, Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus.

 

The no. five seed is Andrej GACINA (Croatia) and on thlist are also the members of the European Championships golden team Stefan FEGERL (Austria) and Robert GARDOS (Austria). Seeded no. eight is Panagiotis GIONIS (Greece), followed by Tiago APOLONIA (Portugal), Pär GERELL (Sweden), Simon GAUZY (France), Alexander SHIBAEV (Russia), Ruwen FILUS (Germany), Kristian KARLSSON (Sweden), Bastian STEGER (Germany) and João MONTEIRO (Portugal).

 

Since the ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup is the qulaification event for the World Cup, ETTU apply the ITTF eligibility rules. Therefore, ther is no top ranked European player from the Women's list. Europe's no one HAN Ying of Germany is not eligible, so the leading position at the seedeing took another German player in great form, Petrissa SOLJA. Last year in Baku SOLJA played in the final. She is ranked at position no. two in Europe currently.

 

No. two seed is Romania's Elizabeta SAMARA. For the European champion, it will be seventh apperance at the tournament. For the fourth time HU Melek of Turkey will try to beat her best result so far – no. three spot. She is seeded no. three.

 

Reigning champion LIU Jia of Austria is seeded no four. Beside Baku, LIU Jia succeeded in Lausanne in 2014, having almost a decade earlier prevailed in Rennes in 2005.

 

Seeded no. five is Georgina POTA (Hungary), followed by Tetyana BILENKO (Ukraine), SHEN Yanfei (Spain), Polina MIKHAILOVA (Russia), Sabine WINTER (Germany), WU Jiaduo (Germany), Margaryta PESOTSKA (Ukraine), Sofia POLCANOVA (Austria), NI Xialian (Luxembourg), Kristin SILBEREISEN (Germany), Bernadette SZOCS (Romania) and Leila OLIVEIRA (Portugal).

 

The Top 16 is a qualification event for the World Cup.    

 

The Top 16 is a qualification event for the World Cup.