Other Events | 24 Oct 2015

Stefan FEGERL keeps the winning rhythm

GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open in Warsaw

 

Crucial to Austrian success in the Men’s Team event at the recent LIEBHERR 2015 ITTF-European Championships in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg, 27 year old Stefan FEGERL booked his place in the quarterfinal of the men’s Singles Event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open in Warsaw.

 

On his way to the best eight players he created few upsets. In the Round of 32, occupying the no.23 seeded position, he accounted for Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS, a player of the same age and the no.7 seed. Recently, FEGERL suffered the defeat against Portugal’s star in the first stage of the Men’s Team event at the LIEBHERR 2015 ITTF-European Championships in Ekaterinburg.

 

FEGERL continued with the good games and recorded the victory over TANG Peng of Hong Kong to secure the place in the quarters.

 

The China’s Ma Long, the top seed, was forced to withdraw owing to a neck injury which had troubled him slightly one week earlier at the Liebherr 2015 Men’s World Cup in Halmstad, Sweden. His withdrawal caused the unexpected outcome in the higher half of the draw.

 

FEGERL will meet Mattias KARLSSON of Sweden, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany will play against ZHANG Jike of China, FAN Zhendong of China will play against WANG Yang of Slovakia and WONG Chun Ting of Hong Kong will meet XU Xin of China.

 

On the morning of the penultimate day of play, the host nation’s Jakub DYJAS and Daniel GORAK booked their place in the Men’s Doubles final by overcoming the non-seeded Portuguese combination of Tiago APOLONIA and João MONTEIRO, the duo who in the opening round had beaten the redoubtable Chinese combination of FAN Zhendong and ZHANG Jike, the no.2 seeds. DYJAS and GORAK emerged successful by the very narrowest of margins in a full distance five games duel. In the counterpart Men’s Doubles semi-final, not seeded the Swedish partnership comprising Kristian KARLSSON and Mattias KARLSSON beat Chinese Taipei’s CHIANG Hung-Chieh and CHUANG Chih-Yuan, the no.6 seeds, in four games.

 

It is for Kristian KARLSSON and Mattias KARLSSON, as it is it for Jakub DYJAS and Daniel GORAK, the first time as a partnership they have reached an ITTF World Tour Men’s Doubles final.

 

Six Chinese players entered the arena for the third round of the Women’s Singles event on Saturday; all six emerged successful according to their global status.

 

Singapore’s FENG Tianwei, the no.7 seed, accounted for Germany’s SHAN Xiaona, the no.12 seed, in four straight games, by a very similar margin, Japan’s Ai FUKUHARA, the no.6 seed, overcame Hungary’s Georgina POTA, the no.19 seed.

 

In the top half of the draw, DING Ning, the top seed, caused Japan more pain by beating 15 year old Miu HIRANO; whilst LI Xiaoxia, the no.4 seed, accounted Poland’s LI Qian, the no.24 seed. WU Yang, the no.9 seed, ended the hopes of Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the no.17 seed.

 

In the lower half of the draw it was success for LIU Shiwen, the no.2 seed and for CHEN Meng, the no.8 seed; both recorded straight games wins. LIU Shiwen beat Singapore’s YU Mengyu, the no.21 seed, CHEN Meng ended the adventures of Portuguese qualifier SHAO Jieni.

 

At the quarter-final stage DING Ning meets FENG Tianwei, WU Yang opposes LI Xiaoxia; in the opposite half of the draw ZHU Yuling opposes CHEN Meng, LIU Shiwen plays Ai FUKUHARA.