Portugal advanced with authority in the Men’s Round of 32 at the Team World Championships Finals in London, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Egypt. Marcos FREITAS gave Portugal the perfect start, controlling the opening match against Youssef ABDELAZIZ from the outset and sealing a straight-games win. “Reaching the Round of 16 was our first goal. We came here prepared for a long competition, and we managed to get through the group stage successfully. Now we’ve also secured a win over Egypt, which is a very strong team. Naturally, we’re pleased with the result,” said FREITAS. Next in line is France. “The match against France will be a very tough one. They are among the best teams in the event and showed strong form in the opening stage, delivering solid results. They go into the match as favorites, but we will try to use our experience to find ways to win game and put pressure on them. I believe it will be a very interesting match for the spectators to follow.” Tiago APOLONIA then extended the lead with a solid performance against Omar ASSAR. After a tight opening game, APOLONIA raised his level to take control and move Portugal closer to the finish line. “It was a great performance from our team. In my match, the key moment was managing to win the first game after a difficult start. From there, I played with more confidence and I’m really happy to have secured an important win against Egypt’s number one player,” explained APOLONIA. Joao GERALDO completed the job, responding well after dropping the first game against Badr MOSTAFA and turning the match around to secure the third and decisive point. Portugal – Egypt 3-0

Italy booked their place in the Round of 16 at the Team World Championships Finals in London after a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Portugal in the Women’s Event. The tie opened with a setback for Italy, as Yu FU mounted a strong comeback against Gaia MONFARDINI, recovering from two games down to give Portugal the early lead. Italy responded immediately through Giorgia PICCOLIN, who produced one of the matches of the day. Trailing 0-2 against Jieni SHAO, she turned the contest around with a determined display to level the overall score and shift the momentum. Debora VIVARELLI then put Italy in front, showing composure in key moments to overcome Matilde PINTO and move her team within one point of victory. All eyes turned back to MONFARDINI, who returned to the table under pressure. This time, she delivered, holding her nerve in crucial phases to defeat SHAO and seal Italy’s progression. After the match, MONFARDINI admitted she was overwhelmed by the moment: “I’m speechless. I still can’t believe it. I think I’ll need a couple of days to really take it in, but we don’t have that time. This was my dream over the past few days. It meant everything to come back after the first match, to stay motivated and brave. It’s not easy. I’m really proud of myself and proud of my team.” Italy – Portugal 3-1