Portugal advanced with authority in the Men’s Round of 32 at the Team World Championships Finals in London, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Egypt.
Marcos FREITAS gave Portugal the perfect start, controlling the opening match against Youssef ABDELAZIZ from the outset and sealing a straight-games win.
“Reaching the Round of 16 was our first goal. We came here prepared for a long competition, and we managed to get through the group stage successfully. Now we’ve also secured a win over Egypt, which is a very strong team. Naturally, we’re pleased with the result,” said FREITAS.
Next in line is France.
“The match against France will be a very tough one. They are among the best teams in the event and showed strong form in the opening stage, delivering solid results. They go into the match as favorites, but we will try to use our experience to find ways to win game and put pressure on them. I believe it will be a very interesting match for the spectators to follow.”
Tiago APOLONIA then extended the lead with a solid performance against Omar ASSAR. After a tight opening game, APOLONIA raised his level to take control and move Portugal closer to the finish line.
“It was a great performance from our team. In my match, the key moment was managing to win the first game after a difficult start. From there, I played with more confidence and I’m really happy to have secured an important win against Egypt’s number one player,” explained APOLONIA.
Joao GERALDO completed the job, responding well after dropping the first game against Badr MOSTAFA and turning the match around to secure the third and decisive point.
Portugal – Egypt 3-0
- Marcos FREITAS – Youssef ABDELAZIZ 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-8)
- Tiago APOLONIA – Omar ASSAR 3-1 (13-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5)
- Joao GERALDO – Badr MOSTAFA 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5)
