All stars survived the challenges of day 1

Day 1 of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen didn’t make any of the former top players stumble. Mikael APPELGREN had to be early at the table for his 9 o’clock opening match but neither this time nor his opponents caused any trouble to him. Swed,

Day 1 of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen didn’t make any of the former top players stumble. Mikael APPELGREN had to be early at the table for his 9 o’clock opening match but neither this time nor his opponents caused any trouble to him. Sweden’s former World and European Champion did not lose a single game in his preliminary group 1 of category 50. His direct competitors, 14-times German Champions Zsolt-Georg BÖHM, and the former Olympic quarter-finalist DING Yi from Austria, did not have any weaknesses today either: 3 matches, 3 victories, 9-0 games.

Like them did Olga NEMES (Women 40), JING Tian-Zörner (50) and Jutta TRAPP (65). Only Eliska KREJCOVA had to fight. The multiple World Championship of the 1940s and 1950s from Czech Republic was 0-2 down against Latvian Laimdota JORDANE, before KREJCOVA could turn it into a 3-2 victory.

Germany’s World Doubles Champion from 1989, Steffen FETZNER, and bronze medallist Dmitrij MAZUNOV from Russia will play their first matches on Tuesday. CHEN Weixing – originally top-seed in their category 40 – had to cancel his participation because of the play-offs in Austria.

Incidentally “Speedy” FETZNER did not relax on his day off, but gave a few media interviews and had a training session with Heiko WIRKNER at the practice hall. That is where they faced a downside of being VIPs. FETZNER/WIRKNER were surprisingly sent off: When they asked two ladies, whether they may join them for training crosswise, the women, who immediately recognized them, replied indignantly: “But your matches will only start tomorrow!” The German duo was perplexed, smiled – and then looked for another training table.

For all age groups except Men 40 the second day of the tournament is “doubles day”. On Wednesday all players have a day off from competition but are welcome to practice in the afternoon.

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The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organization of continental table tennis competitions, including the European Championships.

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