Championships to be held between 12th and 16th June   Skopje between 12th and 16th June will be the host of the best Balkan cadet and junior players during 27th Youth Balkan Table Tennis Championships. The record high number of countries 12 will be fighting for the titles in Skopje. Presence of participants from Romania Turkey Serbia Slovenia Greece Italy Bulgaria Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro Albania Kosovo and North Macedonia is guarantee of enjoyable games for the spectators in Skopje North Macedonia.   Skopje is ready to welcome approximately 150 participants and 50 officials as preparation for the organisation of another big international event under authority of ITTF coming to Skopje in October the ITTF Junior Circuit North Macedonia cadet and junior open tournament.

MA Long has rubberstamped his reputation as arguably the greatest ever male player in table tennis history.  ‘The Dragon’ is officially the most successful player in ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles history after the Chinese superstar surpassed Belarusian legend Vladimir SAMSONOV’s 15 year-long record to claim his 28th career title in the ITTF’s premier tour format that has run since 1996.   The 30-year-old achieved the feat on a sensational Sunday evening in Shenzhen where he romped to victory at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open defeating LIN Gaoyuan 4-0 in the final (12-10 11-6 11-5 11-4).  That victory also sealed his eighth success at the China Open alone extending yet another record which belongs to this remarkable athlete who has been simply unstoppable since returning to the international stage in March following a seven-month injury layoff.   In the space of just nine weeks MA equalled SAMSONOV’s record with gold at the Qatar Open. He then clinched his third consecutive crown at the World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest. Now he holds the outright record for ITTF World Tour titles thanks to China Open glory.  Even by his extraordinarily lofty standards MA’s recent form has been mesmerising. Just an hour before Ma Long’s heroics CHEN Meng (CHN) sealed the Women’s Singles title with a convincing 4-1 victory over compatriot and 2018 China Open champion WANG Manyu (11-3 8-11 11-9 11-9 11-7).  The result consolidates a number of recent successes which have seen CHEN climb to the top of the World Rankings for the first time since April 2018.  The most in-form player in the women’s game has now won three ITTF World Tour titles (2018 Austrian 2019 Hungarian and 2019 China) and the 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in the last six months.    This was also CHEN’s 11th win from 14 finals in Women’s Singles competition on the ITTF World Tour. Discounting April’s World Championships final which she led and then lost to LIU Shiwen (CHN) the 25-year-old has built up a habit of rising to the big occasions.   Undoubtedly two of the standout performers at this week’s China Open were Japanese duo Mima ITO and Tomokazu HARIMOTO.  ITO provided a stunning display on Saturday to defeat former world no. 1 DING Ning (CHN) 4-1 but went on to lose by the same scoreline to WANG Manyu in Sunday’s semi-final (10-12 10-12 11-5 7-11 6-11).  HARIMOTO also made it through to the final day after impressive 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Liam PITCHFORD (ENG) and WONG Chun Ting (HKG) respectively.   The 15-year-old also led MA Long in his semi-final before the eventual champion clinched a tight second game and saw out the victory (14-16 16-14 11-7 11-8 11-7).   In the day’s two other semi-finals between all-Chinese athletes CHEN Meng outpowered ZHU Yuling (18-16 5-11 11-8 11-6 11-9) while LIN Gaoyuan overturned XU Xin’s 2-1 lead to win in six games (11-9 6-11 5-11 11-6 11-8 11-6).    Timo BOLL and Patrick FRANZISKA were the stars of the show on Saturday collecting Men’s Doubles gold medals.  The German pair stunned the current World Champions WANG Chuqin and MA Long with an emphatic 3-0 victory over their esteemed Chinese opponents (11-8 11-7 11-5).   Chinese Taipei celebrated gold in the Mixed Doubles as LIN Yun-Ju and CHENG I-Ching came from behind to defeat Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem (10-12 11-6 11-1 11-5).   GU Yuting and LIU Shiwen were crowned Women’s Doubles champions after the unseeded pair dominated their all-Chinese showdown with a straight-game victory over top-ranked WANG Manyu and ZHU Yuling (11-7 12-10 11-9).    Next week brings the fourth event of the 2019 ITTF World Tour with the Hong Kong Open taking place between 4 – 9 June!   Stay up to date on all the action from the Queen Elizabeth Stadium on ITTF.com itTV and the ITTF’s social media channels: Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Youtube and Weibo.  CHINA OPEN: QUICK LINKS News & Articles Match Replays Results Photo Gallery Flash Quotes Media Kit

2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open   On the third day of action at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open in Shenzhen Germany’s Timo BOLL and Patrick FRANZISKA struck gold after they overcame crowned Men’s Doubles champions at the LIEBHERR 2019 World Championships just over a month ago China’s MA Long and WANG Chuqin. They did it in superb style – in straight games (11-8 11-7 11-5).    “I’m happy to become the champion as out opponents are the strongest players in the World. I’m quite happy that we defeated the World champions. In the final we performed quite well. Timo and I have been playing for long and he has helped me a lot in my table tennis career. I have learnt a lot from him and he’s also my good friend ” said Patrick FRANZISKA.   Even national coach Jorg ROSSKOPF could not find the weak spot in his player’s game.   “That was great performance. The both players are not only very strong they played flawless today. Timo and Franz dominated against the reigning World champions at every stage of the match and rightly won the China Open. I’m sure they will all be confident for the European Games at the end of June in Minsk. “ In China BOLL and FRANZISKA continued to build on their outstanding track record winning the gold medal for the third time at their fourth joint World Tour start.   However Timo Boll was denied of his second medal. After yesterday’s knockout round win over Chinese YU Ziyang who had previously knocked out Sweden’s runner-up Mattias FALCK the European record champion lost to World’s no. three XU Xin (China) in four games in the quarterfinal. In round one Boll had won against Portuguese Joao MONTEIRO.   “That was a good tournament for Timo! A superb performance in the doubles crowned with the title win and quarter-finals in Singles says it all. XU Xin was just too dominant today you have to recognize that. “   Dimitrij OVTCHAROV lost in the round of the 16 against the number two in the world LIN Gaoyun after missed nine match points in the decisive round.        

Games of the Small States of Europe   The winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles Event at the Games of the Small States of Europe held this week in Montenegro’s town of Tivat are Marios YIANGOU of Cyprus and YANG Xioxin of Monaco.   In the final YIANGOU succeeded against Monaco’s Anthony GEMINIANI in straight games. In semis the winner of the event beat another Monaco’s representative Anthony PERETTI whilst GEMINIANI halted progress of Montenegro’s Filip RADOVIC.   In Women’s Singles Event YANG Xioxin overcame Louiza KOUREA of Cyprus in straight games in the final. Tessy GONDERINGER of Luxembourg and Yan Chimei of San Marino clinched bronze.

Games of the Small States of Europe   The players at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro’s Tivat reached the penultimate stage of the Singles Events.   In the quarterfinal Filip RADOVIC of Montenegro succeeded against Hristo HRISTONOV of Cyprus 3:0; Anthony GEMINIANI of Monaco beat Eric GLOD of Luxembourg 3:2 whilst another Monaco’s representative Anthony PERETTI succeeded against Daniel BAJADA of Malta in straight games. In the last quarterfinal match Marios YIANGOU of Cyprus beat Gilles MICHELY of Luxembourg 3:1.   In the Women’s quarterfinal YANG Xioxin of Monaco beat Viktoria LUCENKOVA of Malta 3:1 Tessy GONDERINGER overcame Snezana CULAFIC of Montenegro 3:1. Louiza KOUREA of Cyprus overcame Ulrika QUIST of Monaco 3:1 and YAN Chimei of San Marino progressed to the semifinal after victory over Danielle KONSBRUCK of Luxembourg 3:1.  

Danish national championships for women   Hillerod GI Bordtennis became Danish national champions for women for the second year in a row. After three very close matches in the final against BTK Viby they won the decisive third match 6-2 on home ground.   Danish national player Mie SKOV won all her matches in the semi-final and final matches. She played during the season alongside Pia TOELHOJ Nomin BASAAN CHEN Yan and Petra SORLING.   “I love being back playing table tennis the energy support and surroundings in Hillerod is fantastic. In Denmark women table tennis has the potential to grow even further and I would like promote young girls to join the most fun sport in the world. Next year our team goal is to win the Danish championship for the third time in a row which is going to be tough but also to promote Danish women table tennis out in Europe” stated Mie SKOV.   Hillerod GI Bordtennis will have for the next season also Danish national player Sophie WALLOE on the team and they are going to participate in the European Cup Women.

Games of the Small States of Europe   On the third day of play at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Tivat Monaco clinched two gold medals in both Men’s and Women’s Doubles Event.   In Women’s final YANG Xiaoxin and Ulrika QUIST overcame Egle TAMASAUSKAITE and Tessy GONDERINGER of Luxembourg 3:2. In semis Monaco’s pairings succeeded against Louiza KOUREA and Konstantina MELETIE of Cyprus. TAMASAUSKAITE and GONDERINGER beat Chiara MORRI and YAN Chimei of San Marino.   In Men’s final Men’s Teams title winners Marios YIANGOU and Hristo HRISTONOV of Cyprus suffered by the hands of Anthony PERETTI and Anthony GEMINIANI of Monaco. On their way to gold Monaco’s pairings beat Filip RADOVIC and Filip RADULOVIC of Montenegro whilst Cyprus’ pairings succeeded against Eric GLOD and Gilles MICHELY of Luxembourg.