The first round of WTT Champions European Summer Series 2022 (ESS 2022) gave table tennis fans much to cheer for with upsets class action and the next generation challenging the old guard. Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden claimed the upset of the WTT Champions ESS 2022 so far with a massive 3-2 win over WANG Chuqin of China who had just won the WTT Star Contender ESS 2022 title last week.
KARLSSON said “It feels very good to defeat the WTT Star Contender champion. I’ve had a few close encounters with him and he has always won. It felt like if there was a match to beat him it was this one. He came from a tough tournament played many matches and eventually won it. It’s difficult to recharge and prepare and I took advantage of that.”
Another Swede Truls MOREGARDH the other finalist of WTT Star Contender ESS 2022 was also defeated 3-2 in the first round despite having three match points against Marcos FREITAS of Portugal.
Top seeds Sun Yingsha (CHN) Wang Manyu (CHN) Wang Yidi (CHN) Mima Ito (JPN) and Hina Hayata (JPN) all qualified for the round of 16. However World No.7 Ying Han (GER) lost to Miyuu Kihara (JPN) who recorded her career-best win.
The youngsters are also making their presence felt in Budapest. France’s 18-year-old Alexis LEBRUN continues his incredible rise as he knocked out former World No.1 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER) 3-2. The teenager didn’t back down as he pulled out an astonishing variety of serves that at times wholly bewildered the German. “It is like a dream; Dima is one of my idols ” LEBRUN said after the match.
