Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships,
More the four hours lasted the battle between the team of Belarus, the no. 21 seed and the favorites, the no. 12 seeds, team of Poland in the opening round of the Women’s Event a the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. Eventually, thanks to the brae effort of Alexandra PRIVALOVA Belarus prevailed.
PRIVALOVA accounted for Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA, and in crucial fifth and concluding match of the fixture, she beat Natalia PARTYKA. Viktoria PAVLOVICH overcame Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA, but after the match she gave all the credit for victory to young PRIVALOVA. Victoria shined whiles she proudly talked about Alexandra’s success. Natalia PARTYKA beat Viktoria PAVLOVICH and LI Qian overcame Daria TRIGOLOS.
The Netherlands, the no.3 seeds, defeated Ukraine, the no.14 seeds. Li Jiao accounted for Margaryta PESOTSKA and Teyana BILENKO; LI Jie overcame Margaryta PESOTSKA.
“It seems that I always play at two-two”, smiled LI Jie. “Last we were all at a training camp in China, my left knee became inflamed and I was not able to continue practising; today my movement was not so good; not necessarily because of any pain, it was just trusting the knee.”
Hungary had a toughest of all adversaries at the opening. The team that finished the 2014 edition in Japan at the position no. 13 faced top seeded China in the morning hours.
Mercedes NAGYVARADI played against DING Ning 0:3, Szandra PERGEL went full distance against LI Xiaoxia 2:3, whilst Dora MADARASZ lost in four games against CHENG Meng.
“I was two games in reverse against LI and I was losing third game 4:8. Then I managed to play better on her service game, put some extra pressure, I did not give her easy balls…I leveled, but in the decisive game she was more accurate. Dora MADARASZ also had a good game against CHENG. She won the opening game, then she had 9:9 in second and in third. It was close game, ” explained PERGEL.
European champions, team of Germany, recorded straight matches victory in the opening round in Group B. They beat Thailand. Radiate with confidence, Irene IVANCAN, was satisfied with the teams’ performance.
“For everyone, the opening match at the big Championships is a great challenge, no meter who is on the opposite side of the net. By winning the first match with 9:0, we feel less under pressure. As a team, we proved we have good players in game but we can count also on very strong bench,” said IVANCAN who beat Nanthana KOMWONG in the opening match of the contest.
Petrissa SOLJA overcame AWETTABUT Suthasini.
“We are well prepared. Maybe, for this match, we were prepared more then it was needed. We did not expect such an easy start. However it helped us bust our confidence,” added SOLJA.
Japan proved to strong for Czech Republic, also in Group B. They succeeded in straight matches. Hana MATELOVA and Dana CECHOVA lost in straight games against Ai FUKUHARA and Mima ITO, but experienced Iveta VACENOVSKA stretched Kasumi ISHIKAWA to full distance.
“It was close game. I had advantage after three games, but after ISHIKAWA leveled in the decisive game, I think she was little bit luckier on few balls..but it is all the part of the sport,” explained VACENOVSKA.
In Group C France lost against Singapore, but Carole GRUNDISCH kept her spirit high. The trio of Carole, Pauline CHASSELIN and Audrey ZARIF showed brave performance against team seeded no. 5 led by World’s no. 8 FENG Tianwei.
“We have very young team and we faced one of the best teams in the World. I am not disappointed with the result, because we showed good fighting spirit and we put our adversaries under pressure. We forced them to change the tactics and I am very happy to see that “big” teams noticed us. Our youth proved as worthy adversary and it comes from the great team spirit. Girls just wants to go there and to play; they are not afraid,” said GRUNDISH.
GRUNDISH lost against YU Mengyu in full distance thriller, before she lost against FENG Tianwei. Audrey ZARIF was the only player in French team to score. She beat LI Isabelle Siyun
