LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships
The morning session at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships brought the duels in Women’s Team Event in Halmstad Arena. Opening round in elite category concluded without great upsets.
Reigning World & Olympic Champion DING Ning lead China in the victory over India. Reigning champions showed no mercy and all three players DING WANG Manyu and CHEN Meng concluded round one victoriously in straight games.
Romania overcame Czech Republic in four matches. Bernadette SZOCS opened the match with the victory over Hana MATELOVA and Elizabeta SAMARA followed her path with the victory over Katerina TOMANOVSKA. Karin ADAMKOVA was the only player to score for Czech Republic. She overcame Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN but on her second exit to the table SAMARA sealed the match with the victory over MATELOVA.
“We had a good start of the Championships and I am very happy to say that all the girls are in very good shape in Sweden. We never suffer from lack of motive to fight but this is special moment for us. We are here as a European champions and we have to live up the reputation ” stated Elizabeta SAMARA.
Czech Republic is very dangerous team.
“Their style is very similar to mine spin on spin aggressive and attacking game… so it makes them very dangerous and hard to beat. I am happy firstly because my victory over MATELOVA because last time we played against each other it was very close 3:1 victory. Czech players are always hard to beat. I still have nightmare from the defeat six years ago in the first round of the European Championship.”
Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN suffered from minor injury.
“Dana was so unlucky today. She lost by narrow margin and she twisted her ankle during the game. It is noting severe but it affected her game this morning ” stated SAMARA.
No. 10 seeds Hungary Overcame Egypt. Georgina POTA was the only player forced to go full distance against Farah ABDEL-AZIZ Dora MADARASZ needed one game less to beat leading Egypt’s player Dina MESHREF whilst Szandra PERGEL overcame Yousra HELMY in straight games.
No 11 seeds Germany showed no mercy against Brazil. Sabine WINTER gave her team dream start by beating Bruna TAKAHASHI. In close game she lost only one set before Petrissa SOLJA overcame GUI Lin in straight games. Nina MITTELHAM beat Jessica YAMADA in four games.
