Europe Top-16 Cup | 2 Feb 2018
SHIBAEV: In 2016 – 3rd place, in 2017 – 2nd, in 2018 - ?
Photo: FFTT_JulienCrosnier
China Construction Bank 2018 ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup
Two years ago bronze medalist, last year runner-up, and what can the best Russian player Alexander SHIBAEV achieve at the upcoming the China Construction Bank 2018 ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup to be played in Montreux Salle Omnisport du Pierrier.
“At any competition, I want to play well and to show the result of my training, which is important to me”, stressed no. 8 seed and actual world no. 62.
Alexander SHIBAEV faced many injuries in last couple of seasons, but managed to stay focused on highest possible goals in European table tennis. UMMC` player is three-time ITTF-European Championships medalist, having one silver (Double, Gdansk 2011) and two bronze (Team, Schwechat 2013 and Double, Yekaterinburg 2015). Speaking about his goal in Montreux, he stated:
“I will be training for the Top 16 in Denmark, with my coach and the Danish team. The training in Denmark will last 7-8 days and I hope that everything will be fine. I am determined to fare well in the tournament and I think I will succeed. This is the main goal. Therefore, the result, I hope, will be good.”
Last year`s Europe Top 16 silver in Antibes, France, was one of his two best achievements in 2017.
“The 5th place in the World Cup and silver in the TOP-16, of course, this is the main things. Regarding my plans in 2018, I would like to rise in the ranking, get into the 15 strongest in the world or even in the top ten. Well, to show good play, to improve the results that I have now”.
SHIBAEV believes that the biggest favorites at the China Construction Bank 2018 ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup are two German players, actual world no. 1 and no. 3, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Timo BOLL.
On question who are the World`s best athlete of the 2017, he replied:
“To my opinion, OVTCHAROV”.
In Montreux (on 3rd and 4th February) will play Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany, Timo Boll of Germany, Simon GAUZY of France, Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus, Marcos FREITAS of Portugal, Ruwen FILUS of Germany, Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden, Alexander SHIBAEV of Russia, Bastian STEGER of Germany, Jonathan GROTH of Denmark, Emmanuel LEBESSON of France, Tiago APOLONIA of Portugal, Mattias KARLSSON of Sweden, Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece, Stefan FEGERL of Austria, Lionel WEBER of Switzerland.
In Women’s Top 16 will play: LI Jie of Netherlands, Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania, Georgina POTA of Hungary, Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria, Petrissa SOLJA of Germany, LI Qian of Poland, Matilda EKHOLM of Sweden, Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN and Bernadette SZOCS of Romania, Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus, NI Xia Lian of Luxembourg, Polina MIKHAILOVA of Russia, Sabine WINTER of Germany, Tetyana BILENKO of Ukraine and Rachel MORET of Switzerland.
Event’s page here
Organisers web site here
Tickets are available here
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