European Olympic Singles Qualification | 15 May 2024

Pavel SIRUCEK created the biggest upset of the opening rounds in Sarajevo

The 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification kicked off today amidst fervent anticipation in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The opening day saw action-packed matches in both the Men's and Women's events as players vied for a coveted spot in the upcoming Olympic Games.

In the men's event, Czechia's Pavel SIRUCEK emerged as an early standout, defying the odds by clinching a remarkable victory over the leading contender of Group E. SIRUCEK'S performance set the stage for an enthralling competition ahead.

Eduard IONESCU of Romania, the No. 5 seed, faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of SIRUCEK. Despite a valiant effort, IONESCU fell short, losing the last two games 11-9 after a tense 3-2 battle.

While SIRUCEK'S triumph marked the morning's biggest upset, most of the other favorites in the Men's Event enjoyed a smooth start to their campaign. Alvaro ROBLES of Spain, who topped Group 1, showed his prowess by overcoming Vladislav URSU of Moldova in a hard-fought encounter, securing a 4-2 victory. Similarly, Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania displayed his skill and determination by outplaying Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ of Türkiye, also claiming a 4-2 win.

Austria's Daniel HABESOHN and Slovakia's WANG Yang demonstrated dominance in their respective matches, securing straight games victories against Tamas LAKATOS of Hungary and Anton LIMONOV of Ukraine.

In other matches, Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland delivered a commanding performance, dispatching Loic STOLL of Switzerland in straight games. Meanwhile, Martin ALLEGRO, the No. 7 seed, was pushed to the limit by Alex NAUMI of Finland but ultimately emerged victorious after a grueling contest.

Among the favorites who secured wins in the opening round were Mihai BOBOCICA of Italy, Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece, Paul DRINKHALL of England, Andreas LEVENKO of Austria, and Lubomir PISTEJ of Slovakia.

You can watch all the matches live on ettu.org and follow the results live here.