2019 ITTF World Tour Asarel Bulgaria Open
The 2015 European Championships runner-up Marcos FREITAS of Portugal actual world no. 24 beat world’s Top 10 player Koki NIWA of Japan 4:0 (13:11 11:6 11:1 11:9) to reach Round of 16 at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Asarel Bulgaria Open in Panagyurishte (August 13-18). Two German players won their matches in straight games to set the clash between them: Ruwen FILUS overcame host Teodor ALEXANDROV while 2017 Bulgaria Open winner Dimitrij OVTCHAROV prevailed against Japan’s Masataka MORIZONO.
Last year sensational winner over Olympic and World champion MA Long in the opening round of Bulgaria Open England’s Liam PITCHFORD prevailed today against Ukraine’s KOU Lei in six games. Two European rising stars have continued their winning run after succesfull qualifications: Darko JORGIC (world no. 38 Slovenia) beat LEE Sangsu (no. 18 Korea) after full seven games while Tomislav PUCAR (no. 34 Croatia) overcame Jonathan GROTH (no. 21 Denmark) in six games.
Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS beat Chinese Taipei’s CHENG Hsien-Tzu in six games and set Women’s Singles Round of 16 clash against 2017 winner and current no. 1 seed Kasumi ISHIKAWA of Japan who overcame Portugal’s SHAO Jeni in straight sets. Chinese players halted the progress of three Europeans: MU Zi vs. Sofia POLCANOVA (Austria) 4:0 WU Yang vs. Georgina POTA (Hungary) 4:1 FAN Siqi vs. Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania) 4:3. The 2015 individual European champion SAMARA managed to tie the score at 3:3 in spite of being two games down but her opponent won decisive set 11:4.
The 18-year-old Yuta TANAKA upset Belarus legend Vladimir SAMSONOV after five games.
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