There is always the same team on the throne of the Women’s Italian Supercup. In their home of PalaTennistavolo “Elia Mazzi” Brunetti Castel Goffredo raised the trophy for the fifth time in as many editions of the event after beating 5-3 Polisportiva Bagnolese Panino LAB. Deputy vice-president of Italian Table Tennis Federation Carlo BORELLA presented the awards.
The match was played at two table in best of nine singles. At the end of the first six matches the result was in perfect balance. At table 1 Bagnolese dominated thanks to Romania’s Roxana ISTRATE who defeated Taipei’s CHEN Szu-Yu and to Canada’s ZHANG Mo who overcame Nicole ARLIA and CHEN while at table 2 Castel Goffredo was carried away by Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS who accounted for TIAN Jing and the compatriot ISTRATE and by ARLIA who forced TIAN Jing to surrender.
The fourth round of matches marked the turning point with two thrilling endings. In both Bagnolese was leading 1-0 and then 2-1 with ZHANG over SZOCS and with ISTRATE over ARLIA but the two players of Castel Goffredo came back and triumphed in the fifth and decisive set on the distance of the six point with “sudden death” at 5-5.
“It went well for us ” said coach Alfonso LAGHEZZA who led the team together with Robert STAMENKOVSKI” It was one of those times when Bagnolese put us in serious trouble. Bernadette has confirmed to be a champion and in Europe there are not many players who are able to beat her. However she also had her problems because Zhang played really well. Nicole won two points and lost against Zhang perhaps playing better than against ISRATE. In the last match she showed mental strength. Unfortunately Chen did not manage to play at her best level. We are happy to win this Supercup after Italian Cup. Now we are going to focus on the championship playoffs”.
TABLE 1
CHEN Szu-Yu – Roxana ISTRATE 1-3 (11-9 9-11 6-11 9-11)
Nicole ARLIA – ZHANG Mo 1-3 (10-12 11-7 7-11 8-11)
CHEN Szu-Yu – ZHANG Mo 1-3 (11-4 11-13 7-11 10-12)
Bernadette SZOCS – ZHANG Mo 3-2 (9-11 11-8 10-12 11-6 6-3)
TABLE 2
Bernadette SZOCS – TIAN Jing 3-0 (11-4 11-5 11-9)
Bernadette SZOCS – Roxana ISTRATE 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-9)
Nicole ARLIA – TIAN Jing 3-1 (11-9 11-7 12-14 13-11)
Nicole ARLIA – Roxana ISTRATE 3-2 (7-11 11-9 7-11 11-7 6-3)
