Other Events | 9 Oct 2019

Matilda EKHOLM sets up Round 1 clash with World no.1

The 2019 World Tour Platinum German Open

After two days of qualifications in ÖVB-Arena Bremen, main draw of the 2019 World Tour Platinum German Open will be opened tomorrow, October 10th, by Round of 32 in both Men’s and Women’s Singles events. Matilda EKHOLM faces the biggest possible challenge, as she plays against world no. 1 CHEN Meng. Sweden’s player beat Korea’s LEE Zion 4:1 in the Preliminary Round 4. CHEN leads in the Race to the World Tour Grand Final to be held in the city of Zhengzhou on December 12-15.

The ultimate round in the qualification stage brought some interesting clashes. Domestic player Ricardo WALTHER won the opener against actual world no. 22 WANG Chuqin, the winner of ITTF World Tour Swedish Open held last weekend in Stockholm, but 19-year-old Chinese responded by four games in a row to secure his place in main draw. WANG occupies no. 5 in the Race to Zhengzhou.

Denmark’s Jonathan GROTH was extended to full distance by India’s Harmeet DASAI, reversing the score from 1:3 to 4:3. Kazakhstan’s Kirill GERASSIMENKO beat Brazil’s Thiago MONTEIRO in five games.

Actual world no. 94 Anton KALLBERG overcame his teammate from Borussia Dusseldorf, world no. 34 Egypt’s Omar ASSAR in the Preliminary Round 3, and Japan’s Maharu YOSHIMURA 4:1 in the ultimate round.

Belarus Vladimir SAMSONOV defeated Austria’s Stefan FEGERL in straight games. Sweden Open’s quarter-finalist Simon GAUZY beat two host players in last two rounds, QIU Dang 4:3 and Steffen MENGEL 4:0.

Greek Panagiotis GIONIS prevailed against Frenchman Can AKKUZU in six games, while Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS suffered at the hands of China’s YU Ziyang.

Russia’s Olga VOROBEVA eliminated Korea’s LEE Eunhye after full seven games of the Women’s Singles Preliminary Round 4, and she will play against no. 13 seed, Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS.

Germany’s SHAN Xiaona overcame Portugal’s FU Yu 4:1, Monaco’s YANG Xiaoxin beat Egypt’s Dina MESHREF 4:0, whilst Ukraine’s Margaryta PESOTSKA had a hard job against Brazil’s Bruna TAKAHASHI, being stretched to full distance.

Former individual European champion LI Jie of Netherlands lost to current world no. 151, QIAN Tianyi 4:3. China’s player, quarter-finalist of the recent Sweden Open, was two games down (1:3) but managed to win.