2018 ITTF Challenge Belgosstrakh Belarus Open On the ultimate day of the play at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Belgosstrakh Belarus Open in Minsk Polina MIKHAILOVA of Russia the sole European competing in the Women’s Singles semi-finals will meet Miyuu KIHARA of Japan. In the other penultimate stage duel in all-Japanese clash Minami ANDO opposes Saki SHIBATA Previously Sakura MORI the no.19 seed suffered at the hands of Polina MIKHAILOVA (11-7 11-7 11-7 11-7) whilst Miyuu KIHARA the no.15 seed beat qualifier Maria DOLGIKH (11-9 11-9 11-4 11-6). Despite the rankings the victory of Russia’s player came as surprise. In two previous encounters both time MORI secured victories. Now Maria 31 years of age will play against KIHARA who is only 14 years old. The player who was under spotlight in Men’s Singles event on day three was Romania’s Cristian Pletea: the no.23 seed beat the odds and overcame third seed Nima ALAMIAN (11-1 11-7 11-9 11-7) before inflicted the pain in the hearts of the home fans by knocking no.14 seed Pavel PLATONOV out of the competition at the quarter-finals stage (10-12 12-10 11-7 11-6 11-6). No.4 seed Lubomir PISTEJ also enjoyed a successful day in Minsk with victories over Antoine HACHARD and Harmeet DESAI. He will meet ZHAO Zihao of China in semis. ZHAO won the gold in Under 21 Event in Minsk. The only semi-finalist in Minsk to have previously visited the penultimate round in a Men’s Singles event at an open international tournament is Slovakia’s Lubomir PISTEJ the runner up earlier this year in Slovenia. The no.4 seed at the quarter-final stage he ousted India’s Harmeet Desai the no.9 seed (11-7 11-5 12-10 9-11 11-3). The first gold medals were awarded to players representing China with HE Aige and ZHAO Zihao emerging victorious in the Under 21 Women’s Singles and Under 21 Men’s Singles events for the first time. HE Aige came out on top in a tight five games contest against Japan’s Miku IZUMO (11-9 9-11 8-11 11-6 11-4) while ZHAO Zihao needed just the three games to see off Russian opponent Denis IVONIN at the final hurdle (11-8 11-8 11-3). Second seeds Satsuki ODO and Saki SHIBATA of Japan will play against the Slovak and Czech duo of Barbora BALAZOVA and Hana MATELOVA seeded first for the Women’s Doubles trophy while the Men’s Doubles title will be awarded to an unseeded partnership as Kakeru SONE and Yuta TANAKA take on fellow qualifiers KOU Lei and WEI Shihao of Ukraine and Croatia respectively.
Cajasur Priego TM secured home away win over Fenerbahce Sport Club
Cajasur Priego TM secured home away win over Fenerbahce Sport Club in the first leg of the Third Round of the ETTU Cup Men. Carlos MACHADO was the key player with two win whilst Mohamed ELBEIALI was the only player to score in the Turkey’s side. In Ukraine Fortune Kyiv beat another Turkish representative. Turk Telekom Ankara Sport Club suffered in straight matches. Grigory VLASOV Yevgen PRYSHCHEPA and Yaroslav ZHMUDENKO all recorded straight games victories. In Women’s ETTU Cup TMK-TAGMET Taganrog with Yulia PROKHOROVA Valentina SABITOVA Margarita FETUKHINA beat A.S.D. Tennistavolo Norbello. Also TTC Kazan with Antonina SAVELYEVA SUN Chen and Anna BLAZHKO was not in the mood for charity against Spanish Hotel-Museo Patria Chica Priego TM. Fenerbahce Spor Kulubu higlaghted the bad weekend for Tukish clubs. They lost against TTV Lybrae Heerlen on home soil. Elena TIMINA MEN Shuohan and Rachel GERARTS played for Dutch side.
ECLW: Favourites stretched to full distance
Round 4: UCAM Cartagena – TTC Berlin Eastside 2:3 LZ Linz Froschberg – KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg 2:3 Four-times ECLW champion TTC Berlin Eastside and two-times runner-up KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg have been extended to full distance in their Round 4 games held today November 17th. German club beat away UCAM Cartagena in Group B while the best Polish club overcame ECLW newcomer LZ Linz in the Group D. Berlin showed good team work as each of its players took one point: Matilda EKHOLM vs. Silvia ERDELJI Nina MITTELHAM vs. Viktoria LEBEDEVA and Georgina POTA vs. ERDELJI. Maria XIAO won both her matches playing against POTA and EKHLOM. It was third consecutive victory for German side. HAN Ying did her job in Tarnobrzeg’s line-up providing two points in straight games against Anita RODRIGUES and WU Yue. Elizabeta SAMARA added winning point in the fifth encounter against Ines DIENDORFER. Host side had advantage twice first when WU defeated SAMARA then in the third game that belonged to HO Tin-Tin against Viktoria PAVLOVICH. ECLW Round 4 GROUP B UCAM Cartagena – TTC Berlin Eastside 2:3 Maria XIAO – Georgina POTA 3:0 (12:10 16:14 17:15) Silvia ERDELJI – Matilda EKHOLM 0:3 (5:11 5:11 8:11) Viktoria LEBEDEVA – Nina MITTELHAM 0:3 (7:11 3:11 5:11) Maria XIAO – Matilda EKHOLM 3:1 (11:6 11:7 9:11 11:9) Silvia ERDELJI – Georgina POTA 1:3 (16:14 9:11 13:15 9:11) GROUP D LZ Linz Froschberg – KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg 2:3 WU Yue – Elizabeta SAMARA 3:0 (11:6 11:4 11:6) Anita RODRIGUES – HAN Ying 0:3 (2:11 3:11 2:11) HO Tin-Tin – Viktoria PAVLOVICH 3:2 (11:6 7:11 8:11 13:11 11:3) WU Yue – HAN Ying 0:3 (6:11 4:11 7:11) Ines DIENDORFER – Elizabeta SAMARA 0:3 (5:11 4:11 4:11)
Close duel in Women’s ETTU Cup in Spain
Belgium’s Logis Auderghem secured safe advantage before the ETTU Cup return leg on home soil in ten days. Jasper MERCKX Ludovic BIERNI and Alexy VAN DONGEN overcame Croatia’s Starr Varaždin in four matches. Only Ronlad REDJEP scored for the hosts. French clubs showed no mercy in opening legs. Chartres beat Italian’s Marcozzi Cagliari in straight matches as well as Istres Tennis de Table accounted for Borges Vall. However the second duel was much closer than the result predicts. Samuel WALKER against Marc DURAN and Laurens TROMER against Joan MASIP were stretched to full distance. Croatia had much better result in Women’s ETTU Cup. Aquaestil Duga Resa overcame Moravsky Krumlov in four matches. Tecnigen Linares stood severe pressure in all Spanish clash. Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa recovered from 2:0 in reverse but in decisive match Roxana Ana Maria ISTRATE beat Alejandro CALVO. CP Lyssois Lille Métropole succeeded against Sparvägen TTC in straight matches.
ECLW: Dr. CASL and Linz AG Froschberg win away
Round 4: Budaorsi – Dr. CASL 2:3 Sporting – Linz AG Froschberg 1:3 Favourites have proved their status in the first two ECLW Round 4 games as reigning champion Dr. CASL and former two-time winner Linz AG Froschberg won their matches away. Croatian side beat 2013 runner-up Budaorsi 2i while the best Austrian club prevailed against ECLW newcomer Sporting 3:0. Szandra PERGEL upset DOO Hoi Kem to set up an early lead for Hungarian team. FU Yu levelled the score against Marcedesz NAGYVARADI but Petra LOVAS secured second point and new lead for Budaorsi as he overcame Dorina SREBRNJAK. FU was again responsible for the tie beating PERGEL in four games while DOO decided the winner against Maria FAZEKAS. It was third consecutive victory for Croatian club. Linz AG Froschberg continues unbeaten (3-0) thanks to good team work as SOO Wai Minnie Sofia POLCANOVA in Linda BERGSTROM reached one point each against Sporting. Host side managed to level the score after second game when 2013 ITTF-European Championships gold medallist LI Fen beat actual 2018 ECH bronze medalist POLCANOVA in straight games. BERGSTROM has defeated Zhenqi BARTHEL APOLONIA after full five games while POLCANOVA concluded the clash by overcoming DODEAN MONTEIRO. ECLW Round 4 GROUP A SH-ITB Budaörsi 2i Sport Club – Dr. CASL 2:3 Szandra PERGEL – DOO Hoi Kem 3:0 (11:9 12:10 11:5) Mercedesz NAGYVARADI – FU Yu 0:3 (5:11 11:13 7:11) Petra LOVAS – Dorina SREBRNJAK 3:2 (11:9 11:6 9:11 5:11 11:5) Szandra PERGEL – FU Yu 1:3 (5:11 12:10 2:11 5:11) Maria FAZEKAS – DOO Hoi KEM 2:3 (4:11 15:13 9:11 11:4 4:11) GROUP C Sporting Clube de Portugal – Linz AG Froschberg 1:3 Daniela DODEAN MONTEIRO – SOO Wai Yam Minnie 0:3 (8:11 7:11 8:11) LI Fen – Sofia POLCANOVA 3:0 (11:7 11:9 11:6) Zhenqi BARTHEL APOLONIA – Linda BERGSTROM 2:3 (8:11 9:11 11:6 12:10 7:11) Daniela DODEAN MONTEIRO – Sofia POLCANOVA 1:3 (11:7 5:11 11:8 11:5)
TTCLM: Hennebont beats Mühlhausen to keep chances alive in Group D
Five matches of Round 4 held tonight November 16th French club Hennebont beat Post SV Mühlhausen from Germany 3:0 to keep chances alive in the battle for the first two spots and place in the knockout stage. Four more games were held tonight November 16th: AS Pontoise Cergy – Sporting Clube De Portugal 3:2 SPG Walter Wels – TTSC UMMC 3:1 Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 – FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis 0:3 Eslovs Ai Bordtennis – TTC Fakel Gazprom 0:3. Former two-time TTCLM winner Pontoise has been extended to full distance by last season’s semi-finalist Sporting. Actual world no. 12 Mattias FALCK secured two points for host side against two Nigerian players Bode ABIODUN and Quadri ARUNA (no. 23) while Can AKKUZU prevailed against ABIODUN in the ultimate clash after very intense opening set (18:16). Portugal’s team had advantage after first three encounters as ARUNA and CARVALHO overcame AKKUZU and FLORE respectively. French side has improved its win-loss record to 3-1 while Sporting has 1-3. Group B leader UMMC suffered its first defeat playing away against Walter Wels. Russian side has travelled to Austria without Alexander SHIBAEV FANG Bo and Andrej GACINA. Host side has recorded its very first win thanks to current world no. 169 PARK Ganghyeon who beat both Artur ABUSEV and world no. 15 Jonathan GROTH. Adam SZUDI added one point as he overcame Ilya ZHIDKOV in the third game. German club Saarbrucken keeps top of Group C thanks to 3:0 victory in Denmark. Patrick FRANZISKA paved the way to this win as he beat ZHAI Yujia in the opener while other two points came from two rising stars Darko JORGIC (vs. Michael MAZE in five games) and Tomas POLANSKY. Former four-time TTCLM winner and actual no. 2 seed Orenburg beat 2016 runner-up Eslovs playing with two under-18 players Trils MOREGARD (lost to Vladimir SAMSONOV) and Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS (vs. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV). Marcos FREITAS has defeated Robert SVENSSON in the third clash. Liam PITCHFORD continues his excellent performances from ITTF World Tour as he prevailed against Mühlhausen’s Ovidiu IONESCU actual 2018 ITTF-European Championships runner-up. Cedric NUYTINCK beat Daniel HABESOHN in straight games as well as FAN Shengpeng did against Steffen MENGEL. TTCLM Round 4 GROUP A AS Pontoise Cergy – Sporting Clube De Portugal 3:2 Mattias FALCK – Bode ABIODUN 3:0 (12:10 11:7 11:6) Can AKKUZU – Quadri ARUNA 1:3 (7:11 10:12 11:9 8:11) Tristan FLORE – Diogo CARVALHO 2:3 (11:9 13:15 11:7 5:11 9:11) Mattias FALCK – Quadri ARUNA 3:2 (11:3 12:10 7:11 9:11 11:6) Can AKKUZU – Bode ABIODUN 3:0 (18:16 11:9 11:3) GROUP B SPG Walter Wels – TTSC UMMC 3:1 PARK Ganghyeon – Artur ABUSEV 3:0 (11:4 11:6 11:6) Deni KOZUL – Jonathan GROTH 2:3 (7:11 11:7 6:11 12:10 9:11) Adam SZUDI – Ilya ZHIDKOV 3:1 (11:4 11:9 8:11 11:4) PARK Ganghyeoun – Jonathan GROTH 3:1 (11:8 11:6 7:11 11:3) GROUP C Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 – FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis 0:3 ZHAI Yujia – Patrick FRANZISKA 1:3 (11:9 10:12 6:11 9:11) Michael MAZE – Darko JORGIC 2:3 (8:11 13:11 8:11 11:6 6:11) Tamas LAKATOS – Tomas POLANSKY 2:3 (5:11 11:9 12:10 7:11 8:11) GROUP D Eslovs Ai Bordtennis – TTC Fakel Gazprom 0:3 Truls MOREGARD – Vladimir SAMSONOV 0:3 (6:11 10:12 7:11) Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 0:3 (6:11 5:11 2:11) Robert SVENSSON – Marcos FREITAS 1:3 (14:16 12:10 6:11 6:11) G.V. Hennebont T.T. – Post SV Mühlhausen 3:0 Liam PITCHFORD – Ovidiu IONESCU 3:1 (5:11 11:6 11:7 11:7) Cedric NUYTINCK – Daniel HABESOHN 3:0 (11:5 11:9 12:10) FAN Shengpeng – Steffen MENGEL 3:0 (11:7 11:5 11:8)
Timo BOLL keeps European flag in Korea
Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals In one month we’ll find out the champions of the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals but who do you think they’ll be? Discover the candidates competing for silverware in Korea! Chinese duo XU Xin (1stseed) and FAN Zhendong (2nd) will enter the World Tour Grand Finals as favourites. XU Xin is a two-time WTGF champion (2012 and 2013) while World no. 1 FAN Zhendong will be defending his crown after last year’s success in Astana. Despite withdrawing from both Swedish and Austrian Opens through injury five-time WTGF champion MA Long (3rd) is fighting hard to make a return from his knee injury in time. A gold medallist back in 2005 Germany’s Timo BOLL (16th) qualified with the narrowest of margins while Dimitrij OVTCHAROV missed out for only the second time since 2007. 15-year-old rising star Tomokazu HARIMOTO (5th) will be looking to boost his burgeoning reputation Korea’s JANG Woojin (6th) is the host nation’s biggest hope of glory and Brazil’s Hugo CALDERANO (8th) is aiming to push on since becoming the first Latin American player to enter the World Top 10. WANG Manyu (1st) collected the most points (1 856) on the 2018 ITTF World Tour. The 19-year-old talent is seeking her first career World Tour Grand Finals crown. ZHU Yuling (7th) is World no. 1 and looking to regain the WTGF title she won in 2016. CHEN Meng (6th) is the defending Women’s Singles champion and enters the tournament straight off the back of winning last week’s Austrian Open. It has been an impressive year for 18-year-old Mima ITO (4th) who is full of confidence having won 12 of her last 17 matches against top Chinese opposition. 2014 champion Kasumi ISHIKAWA (2nd) is Japan’s other outstanding candidate. Having missed out on the 2017 World Tour Grand Finals experienced Chinese duo LIU Shiwen and DING Ning are back in it this year. LIU Shiwen (3rd) remains the only player in history to have won three consecutive WTGF titles (2011 2012 2013) while DING Ning (5th) celebrated victory in 2015. Host nation Korea topped the charts in both the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles on the 2018 ITTF World Tour: LEE Sangsu will partner JEOUNG Youngsik in the former category and JEON Jihee in the latter. The Mixed Doubles have provided arguably the greatest success story of 2018 beyond the realms of table tennis as JANG Woojin (of South Korea) and CHA Hyo Sim (of North Korea) ensure a Unified Korea team presence in Incheon. A formidable force also in the Doubles scene Mima ITO celebrated gold four times on the 2018 ITTF World Tour meaning she forms a top seed partnership with Hina HAYATA. Of China’s three Women’s Doubles pairings CHEN Xingtong and SUN Yingsha (2nd) are the highest ranked after they claimed three titles this year. Meanwhile in the Men’s Doubles Japanese pair and defending champions Masataka MORIZONO and Yuya OSHIMA (2nd) are aiming to repeat their triumphs of 2015 and 2017. They too will face stern competition from China in the form of MA Long and XU Xin (3rd). WTGF Players’ List WTGF Event Page ITTF Social Media: Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube
TTCLM: Successful night for Polish clubs
Round 4: Dekorglass Dzialdowo – Stella Sport La Romagne 3:0 K.S. Dartom Bogoria – Angers 3:2 Two Polish clubs have recorded important wins in the TTCLM Round 4 matches held tonight November 15th – Group A: Dekorglass Dzialdowo – Stella Sport La Romagne 3:0 Group C: K.S. Dartom Bogoria – Angers 3:2. Dekorglass Dzialdowo beat Stella Sport La Romagne in straight matches what could be decisive in case that both sides have same win-loss record after Round 6 (French team won 3:1 home game). Taku KAKAKIWA prevailed against Adrian CRISAN in the opener WANG Yang was better than CHEN Tianyuan while Jiri VRABLIK beat Daniel GORAK. Bogoria has improved its win-loss record to 3-1 in Group C defeating Angers after full five encounters. French club beat Polish side 3:0 in the previous round but now stands at 2-2. It was a good team work of home team as Panagiotis GIONIS. Kaii YOSHIDA and Pavel SIRUCEK took one point each while Jon PERSSON brought both wins to Angers. SIRUCEK managed to beat Jens LUNDQVIST in the fifth match in spite of losing opening set. TTCLM Round 4 GROUP B Dekorglass Dzialdowo – Stella Sport La Romagne 3:0 Taku TAKAKIWA – Adrian CRISAN 3:0 (11:5 11:4 11:6) WANG Yang – CHEN Tianyuan 3:1 (9:11 11:9 16:14 11:8) Jiri VRABLIK – Daniel GORAK 3:0 (11:4 11:4 11:7) GROUP C K.S. Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki – Vaillante Sports Angers TT 3:2 Panagiotis GIONIS – Jens LUNDQVIST 3:1 (7:11 11:3 11:6 11:5) Pavel SIRUCEK – Jon PERSSON 1:3 (11:8 3:11 11:13 7:11) Kaii YOSHIDA – Joao GERALDO 3:2 (6:11 11:7 8:11 11:5 11:8) Panagiotis GIONIS – Jon PERSSON 2:3 (14:12 11:13 14:12 4:11 4:11) Pavel SIRUCEK – Jens LUNDQVIST 3:1 (5:11 11:7 11:8 11:6)
Busy weekend in ETTU CUP
This weekend the battles in 16 matches of Men’s and Women’s ETTU Cup will fire up the Europe from Spain to Russia. Third Round already starts on Friday. In Men’s ETTU Cup Croatia’s STK Starr Varaždin will host Belgium’s Logis Auderghem TT French Chartres ASTT awaits ASD Marcozzi Cagliari whilst Istres Tennis de Table will play against Borges Vall. On Saturday Turkey’s Fenerbahce Sport Club hosts Cajasur Priego TM and Fortune Kyiv will play against second Turkish representative Turk Telekom Ankara Sport Club. On Sunday Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa will meet Ping Pong Club Villeneuvois DeBoer Taverzo will play against SF SKK El Nino Praha and TTC Sokah Hoboken vs.SK Vydrany. Logis Auderghem Marcozzi Cagliari Turk Telekom Ankara Sport Club Ping Pong Club Villeneuvois and SF SKK El Nino Praha already “survived” two rounds of qualifications stages. In Women’s ETTU Cup on Friday STK Aquaestil Duga Resa will play against TT Moravsky Krumlov Tecnigen Linares vs. Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa and CP Lyssois Lille Métropole vs. Sparvägen TTC. On Saturday TMK-TAGMET Taganrog will meet A.S.D. Tennistavolo Norbello Fenerbahce Spor Kulubu will play against TTV Lybrae Heerlen and the last three pairings are Villach vs. Arteal Tenis de Mesa Kazan vs. Hotel-Museo Patria Chica Priego TM and ALCL TT Grand-Quevilly vs. DT Roodt – Syre. Sparvägen Tennistavolo Norbello and Lybrae Heerlen booked their places in the Third Round after being required to play in the Cup from the opening stage.
Ostrava extends TTCLM champion to full distance
TTCLM Round 4: TTC Ostrava 2016 – Borussia Dusseldorf 2:3 Reigning TTCLM champion 11-times winner Borussia Dusseldorf has booked its place in the 2018/19 quarter-finals as it beat away TTC Ostrava 2016 3:2. It was fourth consecutive win in Group A of German side while Czech Republic’s club still has no victory although they showed strong team spirit against one of favourites in the ongoing season. Timo BOLL has provided two points for guests improving his season’s win-loss record to 5-0. He overcame Petr KORBEL and Tomas TREGLER. Borussia’s third win was recorded by Anton KALLBERG who prevailed against KORBEL in the decisive fifth encounter. Tomas TREGLER beat KALLBERG in the opener while Ostrava’s gifted player Simon BELIK upset Omar ASSAR in the third clash. TTCLM Round 4 Group A TTC Ostrava 2016 – Borussia Dusseldorf 2:3 Tomas TREGLER – Anton KÄLLBERG 3:2 (11:8 5:11 11:3 9:11 14:12) Petr KORBEL – Timo BOLL 0:3 (4:11 8:11 7:11) Simon BELIK – Omar ASSAR 3:1 (12:10 11:7 5:11 11:9) Tomas TREGLER – Timo BOLL 0:3 (8:11 2:11 3:11) Petr KORBEL – Anton KÄLLBERG 1:3 (8:11 6:11 11:6 8:11)
