English National Championships   Liam PITCHFORD won his fourth career men’s singles crown and Tin-Tin HO completed a hat-trick of women’s singles titles on the final day of the PG Mutual National Championships.   PITCHFORD England’s star performer at the Team World Cup in London last week defeated England colleague Sam WALKER in the final 4-1 (8-11 11-4 11-4 11-9 11-6).   HO beat Kelly SIBLEY 4-1 (6-11 11-8 12-10 11-8 11-8) to ensure the same outcome in the women’s singles final for the third year in a row.   The two winners had earlier combined to take the Mixed Doubles – PITCHFORD’s first ever success in that event – at the Copper Box Arena. They saved four match points on the way to defeating David McBEATH & SIBLEY 3-2 (11-9 6-11 8-11 14-12 12-10).   The Men’s Doubles saw Paul DRINKHALL & McBEATH beat PITCHFORD & WALKER 3-1 (11-8 11-6 6-11 11-1) while SIBLEY teamed up with Maria TSAPTSINOS to defeat HO & Denise PAYET 3-0 (11-4 11-6 11-7) in the Women’s Doubles.   Every member of England’s squad for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games appeared in at least one final.

National Championships of Greece   New champions of Greece were have been crowned on Sunday in Athens. In the National Championship which took place at the Byzantine Athletic Center Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS won the Men`s Singles title for the first time and in his 24 years he became the 19th champion in the history of the event. Katerina TOLIOU emerged as the winner of the Women’s Singles and celebrated the second gold medal in the event. Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS arrived at the top in Men’s Doubles also with his brother George. They managed it for the third year in a row. In Women’s Doubles the gold medal went to Konstantina PARIDI/Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA and that was a surprise to the approximately 150 fans who were on the platforms.   In Men’s Singles KONSTANTINOPOULOS started as the 4th favorite. In the semifinals he beat the eight-time Greek champion Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU 4:3. He was first qualified for the final and then beat Tssos RINIOTIS with 4:2. Greek champion of 2017 participated in the final of the competition for the third year in a row.   “Too important result for me and I can say I did not expect it. I say this because in an official game I had never defeated Papageorgiou and with Renios I was an underdog in all the games. But I did well and believed myself” said the player of Panathinaikos.   Important absences from the event were John SGOUROPOULOS (actual European champion in Junior’s Singles) and John VLOTINOS (national record holder with 14 titles) due to minor illness and injury respectively.   The final of the Women’s Singles also had a new face. It was Konstantina PARIDI who made an amazing tournament at the weekend. TOLIOU however had chances due to her defensive style of play and her experience of such finals. PARIDI who beat year’s champion Christina FILI in the quarterfinals 4-2 took the first game but the top Greek woman at the World Rankings improved her game and dominated the next games (4-1).   “I am very happy and excited because I managed to regain the national title for the second time. I worked a lot and it worked. In the final I tried to be firm on my defense I had patience and I did very good attacks” said Toliou.   The results of the finals   MS: Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS – Tasos RINIOTIS 4-2 (12-10 10-12 6-11 11-7 11-6 11-2) WS: Katerina TOLIOU – Konstantina PARIDI 4-1 (8-11 11-5 11-9 11-8 11-4) MD: George KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS – Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU/Tasos RINIOTIS 3-1 (4-11 11-8 11-8 11-9) WD: Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA/Konstantina PARIDI – Georgia ZAVITSANOU/Christina FILI 3-2 (11-9 11-4 7-11 10-12 11-2)   Final standings   Men’s Singles   Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos) Tasos RINIOTIS (Olympiacos) Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU (club of Europe) Kostas LAGOGIANNIS (Panathinaikos)   Women’s Singles   Katerina TOLIOU (DAO Tavrou) Konstantina PARIDI (Phoenix of Piraeus) Alice KIOUFI (Sarises Florina) Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (Olympiacos)   Men’s Doubles   Giorgos KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos) Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU/Tasos RINIOTIS (Club of Europe/Olympiacos) John BOSKOVIC/John DAMIANIS (Aris Voulas / Eagles of the City) Nikos ANTONIADIS/Stratos DAMIANIS (Pera Athens)   Women’s Doubles   Konstantina PARIDI/Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA (Phoenix of Piraeus) Christina FILI/Georgia ZAVITSANOU (DAO Tavrou/Sarisses Florina) Katerina TOLIOU/Filareti EXARCHOU (DAO Tavrou) Olga GEORGOPOULOU/Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (Pera Athens/Olympiacos)

National Championships of Greece   New champions of Greece were have been crowned on Sunday in Athens. In the National Championship which took place at the Byzantine Athletic Center Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS won the Men`s Singles title for the first time and in his 24 years he became the 19th champion in the history of the event. Katerina TOLIOU emerged as the winner of the Women’s Singles and celebrated the second gold medal in the event. Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS arrived at the top in Men’s Doubles also with his brother George. They managed it for the third year in a row. In Women’s Doubles the gold medal went to Konstantina PARIDI/Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA and that was a surprise to the approximately 150 fans who were on the platforms.   In Men’s Singles KONSTANTINOPOULOS started as the 4th favorite. In the semifinals he beat the eight-time Greek champion Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU 4:3. He was first qualified for the final and then beat Tssos RINIOTIS with 4:2. Greek champion of 2017 participated in the final of the competition for the third year in a row.   “Too important result for me and I can say I did not expect it. I say this because in an official game I had never defeated Papageorgiou and with Renios I was an underdog in all the games. But I did well and believed myself” said the player of Panathinaikos.   Important absences from the event were John SGOUROPOULOS (actual European champion in Junior’s Singles) and John VLOTINOS (national record holder with 14 titles) due to minor illness and injury respectively.   The final of the Women’s Singles also had a new face. It was Konstantina PARIDI who made an amazing tournament at the weekend. TOLIOU however had chances due to her defensive style of play and her experience of such finals. PARIDI who beat year’s champion Christina FILI in the quarterfinals 4-2 took the first game but the top Greek woman at the World Rankings improved her game and dominated the next games (4-1).   “I am very happy and excited because I managed to regain the national title for the second time. I worked a lot and it worked. In the final I tried to be firm on my defense I had patience and I did very good attacks” said Toliou.   The results of the finals   MS: Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS – Tasos RINIOTIS 4-2 (12-10 10-12 6-11 11-7 11-6 11-2) WS: Katerina TOLIOU – Konstantina PARIDI 4-1 (8-11 11-5 11-9 11-8 11-4) MD: George KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS – Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU/Tasos RINIOTIS 3-1 (4-11 11-8 11-8 11-9) WD: Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA/Konstantina PARIDI – Georgia ZAVITSANOU/Christina FILI 3-2 (11-9 11-4 7-11 10-12 11-2)   Final standings   Men’s Singles   Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos) Tasos RINIOTIS (Olympiacos) Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU (club of Europe) Kostas LAGOGIANNIS (Panathinaikos)   Women’s Singles   Katerina TOLIOU (DAO Tavrou) Konstantina PARIDI (Phoenix of Piraeus) Alice KIOUFI (Sarises Florina) Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (Olympiacos)   Men’s Doubles   Giorgos KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos) Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU/Tasos RINIOTIS (Club of Europe/Olympiacos) John BOSKOVIC/John DAMIANIS (Aris Voulas / Eagles of the City) Nikos ANTONIADIS/Stratos DAMIANIS (Pera Athens)   Women’s Doubles   Konstantina PARIDI/Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA (Phoenix of Piraeus) Christina FILI/Georgia ZAVITSANOU (DAO Tavrou/Sarisses Florina) Katerina TOLIOU/Filareti EXARCHOU (DAO Tavrou) Olga GEORGOPOULOU/Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (Pera Athens/Olympiacos)

Dutch National Championships   SHUO Han Men and Ewout OOSTWOUDER are the new Dutch national champions of 2018. For Ewout OOSTWOUDER it is his third national title young talent SHUO Han Men has won the tournament for the first time in her career.   The seventeen-year-old SHUO Han Men was better in the final than Ana GOGORITA. The result in Zwolle was 4:2. Young talent SHUO Han Men played a very good tournament. It was unexpected that the number one Yana TIMINA and number two Kim VERMAAS of the ranking were defeated in the semifinals.   Ewout OOSTWOUDER played a very strong final in the men’s singles against Barry WIJERS. The result of this exiting match was 4:1. After winning the title in 2014 and 2015 OOSTWOUDER won his third national title in Zwolle.   Results Women’s final: SHUO Han Men- Ana GOGORITA 4:2 (11:8 12:10 9:11 10:12 11:6 11:8) Men’s final: Ewout OOSTWOUDER- Barry WIJERS 4:1 (11:5 9:11 11:6 11:9 11:4) Women’s Doubles: Tanja HELLE/Yana TIMINA – Rianne VAN DUIN/Ana GOGORITA 3:1 (6:11 11:9 11:5 11:9) Men’s Doubels: Rajko GOMMERS/Martijn DE VRIES- Martin KHATCHANOV/ Barry WIJERS 3:1 (11:7 11:9 9:11 11:8) Mixed Doubles: Rajko GOMMERS/Kim VERMAAS- Koen HAGERAATS/ Tanja HELLE 3:0 (11:9 15:13 11:6)  

Dutch National Championships   SHUO Han Men and Ewout OOSTWOUDER are the new Dutch national champions of 2018. For Ewout OOSTWOUDER it is his third national title young talent SHUO Han Men has won the tournament for the first time in her career.   The seventeen-year-old SHUO Han Men was better in the final than Ana GOGORITA. The result in Zwolle was 4:2. Young talent SHUO Han Men played a very good tournament. It was unexpected that the number one Yana TIMINA and number two Kim VERMAAS of the ranking were defeated in the semifinals.   Ewout OOSTWOUDER played a very strong final in the men’s singles against Barry WIJERS. The result of this exiting match was 4:1. After winning the title in 2014 and 2015 OOSTWOUDER won his third national title in Zwolle.   Results Women’s final: SHUO Han Men- Ana GOGORITA 4:2 (11:8 12:10 9:11 10:12 11:6 11:8) Men’s final: Ewout OOSTWOUDER- Barry WIJERS 4:1 (11:5 9:11 11:6 11:9 11:4) Women’s Doubles: Tanja HELLE/Yana TIMINA – Rianne VAN DUIN/Ana GOGORITA 3:1 (6:11 11:9 11:5 11:9) Men’s Doubels: Rajko GOMMERS/Martijn DE VRIES- Martin KHATCHANOV/ Barry WIJERS 3:1 (11:7 11:9 9:11 11:8) Mixed Doubles: Rajko GOMMERS/Kim VERMAAS- Koen HAGERAATS/ Tanja HELLE 3:0 (11:9 15:13 11:6)  

German National Championships   Actual World no. 1 Timo BOLL has secured his 12th gold medal at the 86th German National Championships held in Berlin this weekend as he beat outsider Kilian ORT (no. 287) in straight games of the final. After several medals won with German National Team HAN Ying has reached her very first title of national champion. Tarnobrzeg`s player beat Tanja KRAMER in six games.   “I hope that was not my last German championship title” stated 37-year-old Timo BOLL and recalls on his first winning campaign two decades ago. “That was in Saarbrücken on my 17th birthday in 1998. At that time I overcame Peter FRANZ in the semi-final after a 15:20 deficit and then in the final against Torben WOSIK – that was my very first big title”.   HAN Ying lost to SHAN Xiaona in the 2014 final but now managed to win the title in very tense and close final.   “I am very happy about the title but it was a tough match. Tanja (KRAMER) played very well” stated actual World no. 41.   Men`s Singles Final: Timo BOLL – Kilian Ort 4:0 (5 8 4 5) Semi-finals: Timo BOLL – Patrick FRANZISKA 4:2 (8 -15 -10 6 6 7) Bastian STEGER – Kilian ORT 2:4 ( -4 -7 -8 4 5 -5)   Women`s Singles Final: HAN Ying – Tanja KRÄMER 4:2 (5 4 -10 -10 10 9) Semi-finals: HAN Ying – YUAN Wan 4:0 (7 6 8 11) Tanja KRÄMER – Sabine WINTER 4:3 (9 -4 7 6 -9 -3 9)   Men`s Doubles Final: Benedikt DUDA/DANG Qiu – Ruwen FILUS/Ricardo WALTHER 3:0 (7 8 6) Semi-finals: Ruwen FILUS/Ricardo WALTHER – Erik BOTTROFF/Lennart WEHKING 3:0 (7 8 6) Julian MOHR/Jens SCHABACKER – Benedikt DUDA/DANG Qiu 0:3 (-8 -6 -8).   Women`s Doubles Final: HUONG Do Thi/Sabine WINTER – Jessica GÖBEL/Tanja KRÄMER 3:1 (-14 6 11 5) Semi-finals:  Jessica GÖBEL/Tanja KRÄMER – Luisa SÄGER/Jennie WOLF 3:2 (2 -8 8 -7 7) HUONG Do Thi/Sabine WINTER – Alena LEMMER/YUAN Wan 3:1 (-8 9 10 5).

German National Championships   Actual World no. 1 Timo BOLL has secured his 12th gold medal at the 86th German National Championships held in Berlin this weekend as he beat outsider Kilian ORT (no. 287) in straight games of the final. After several medals won with German National Team HAN Ying has reached her very first title of national champion. Tarnobrzeg`s player beat Tanja KRAMER in six games.   “I hope that was not my last German championship title” stated 37-year-old Timo BOLL and recalls on his first winning campaign two decades ago. “That was in Saarbrücken on my 17th birthday in 1998. At that time I overcame Peter FRANZ in the semi-final after a 15:20 deficit and then in the final against Torben WOSIK – that was my very first big title”.   HAN Ying lost to SHAN Xiaona in the 2014 final but now managed to win the title in very tense and close final.   “I am very happy about the title but it was a tough match. Tanja (KRAMER) played very well” stated actual World no. 41.   Men`s Singles Final: Timo BOLL – Kilian Ort 4:0 (5 8 4 5) Semi-finals: Timo BOLL – Patrick FRANZISKA 4:2 (8 -15 -10 6 6 7) Bastian STEGER – Kilian ORT 2:4 ( -4 -7 -8 4 5 -5)   Women`s Singles Final: HAN Ying – Tanja KRÄMER 4:2 (5 4 -10 -10 10 9) Semi-finals: HAN Ying – YUAN Wan 4:0 (7 6 8 11) Tanja KRÄMER – Sabine WINTER 4:3 (9 -4 7 6 -9 -3 9)   Men`s Doubles Final: Benedikt DUDA/DANG Qiu – Ruwen FILUS/Ricardo WALTHER 3:0 (7 8 6) Semi-finals: Ruwen FILUS/Ricardo WALTHER – Erik BOTTROFF/Lennart WEHKING 3:0 (7 8 6) Julian MOHR/Jens SCHABACKER – Benedikt DUDA/DANG Qiu 0:3 (-8 -6 -8).   Women`s Doubles Final: HUONG Do Thi/Sabine WINTER – Jessica GÖBEL/Tanja KRÄMER 3:1 (-14 6 11 5) Semi-finals:  Jessica GÖBEL/Tanja KRÄMER – Luisa SÄGER/Jennie WOLF 3:2 (2 -8 8 -7 7) HUONG Do Thi/Sabine WINTER – Alena LEMMER/YUAN Wan 3:1 (-8 9 10 5).

French National Championships   Alexandre ROBINOT and YUAN Jia Nan are crowned individual champions of France. ROBINOT has reached his very first national title at the event held in the city of Rouen whilst YUAN got her fourth one. Championships have gathered nearly 130 players.   “It’s great feeling I’m really happy especially knowing last final`s loss. I had a great level of play today and even on the whole competition. Three days ago I couldn’t imagine that I am able to win both Singles and Doubles titles” stated Alexandre ROBINOT who beat in the final Enzo ANGLES 4:1 (11:6 16:14 9;11 11:6 11:8).   Bronze medalists are Can AKKUZU and Stéphane OUAICHE who upset no. 1 seed Emmanuel LEBESSON in the quarter-final clash.   Women`s Singles top seed YUAN was two games behind in the final but managed to defeated Carole GRUNISCH in full seven sets. She stressed that this title is her hardest won in French National Championships:   “I am very happy to win my 4th title of French champion. It’s always very hard for me against Carole (GRUNDISCH). I started the final badly she played very well but I managed to comeback”   Alexandre ROBINOT and Joe SEYFRIED overcame Romain LORENTZ and Brice OLLIVIER in the Men`s Doubles final whilst the Women`s Doubles event was concluded by Oceane GUISNEL/ Stephanie LOEUILLETE unexpected victory against no. 1 seed YUAN Jia Nan / Aurore LE MANSEC.   Men`s Singles medalists Alexandre ROBINOT Enzo ANGLES Stéphane OUAICHE Can AKKUZU   Women`s Singles medalists YUAN Jia Nan Carole GRUNDISCH Laura GASNIER Aurore LE MANSEC

French National Championships   Alexandre ROBINOT and YUAN Jia Nan are crowned individual champions of France. ROBINOT has reached his very first national title at the event held in the city of Rouen whilst YUAN got her fourth one. Championships have gathered nearly 130 players.   “It’s great feeling I’m really happy especially knowing last final`s loss. I had a great level of play today and even on the whole competition. Three days ago I couldn’t imagine that I am able to win both Singles and Doubles titles” stated Alexandre ROBINOT who beat in the final Enzo ANGLES 4:1 (11:6 16:14 9;11 11:6 11:8).   Bronze medalists are Can AKKUZU and Stéphane OUAICHE who upset no. 1 seed Emmanuel LEBESSON in the quarter-final clash.   Women`s Singles top seed YUAN was two games behind in the final but managed to defeated Carole GRUNISCH in full seven sets. She stressed that this title is her hardest won in French National Championships:   “I am very happy to win my 4th title of French champion. It’s always very hard for me against Carole (GRUNDISCH). I started the final badly she played very well but I managed to comeback”   Alexandre ROBINOT and Joe SEYFRIED overcame Romain LORENTZ and Brice OLLIVIER in the Men`s Doubles final whilst the Women`s Doubles event was concluded by Oceane GUISNEL/ Stephanie LOEUILLETE unexpected victory against no. 1 seed YUAN Jia Nan / Aurore LE MANSEC.   Men`s Singles medalists Alexandre ROBINOT Enzo ANGLES Stéphane OUAICHE Can AKKUZU   Women`s Singles medalists YUAN Jia Nan Carole GRUNDISCH Laura GASNIER Aurore LE MANSEC