Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Key moments from Budapest: champions fall

Written by 
Published in Table Tennis
Wednesday, 19 February 2020 17:18

Highlights of the day……….

Champions depart

Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the men’s singles winner in 2016 experienced defeat at the hands of Frenchman Alexandre Cassin (4-11, 8-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 7-11) in what was the biggest upset of the day. Presently, Alexandre Cassin, winner of the junior boys’ singles title at the European Youth Championships in both 2014 and 2016, is listed at no.206 on the men’s world rankings. Chuang Chih-Yuan appears at no.33.

A surprise defeat for Chuang Chih-Yuan, for Liu Jia, the women’s singles winner in 2014, there were no belated birthday presents. Listed at no.106 on the current rankings, she was beaten by Luxembourg’s Ni Xia Lian, named at no.46 (11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9).

On Sunday 16th February, Liu Jia celebrated her 38th birthday.

The unexpected, expected

According to ranking, India’s Manika Batra, Germany’s Shan Xiaona, Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki and Spain’s Liu Xin were the surprise names to book main draw places in the women’s singles event.

In reality they were not; all have major successes to their credit. Manika Batra guided India to gold in the women’s team event at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games before securing the women’s singles title. On the ITTF World Tour in 2014 Shan Xiaona was crowned the women’s singles champion in Germany, Liu Xin when representing China, in Brazil.

Miyu Nagasaki is the reigning Asian and World junior champion.

Seizing the opportunity

In the men’s singles event, Japan’s Shunsuke Togami, Poland’s Jakub Dyjas, Germany’s Qiu Dang and Lam Siu Hang made most of the opportunity afforded.

Shunsuke Togami beat Belgium’s Martin Allegro (11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3), the winner earlier in the day against Romania’s Rares Sipos (13-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-9), successful in the second preliminary when opposing Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar (12-10, 15-13, 7-11, 14-12, 13-11), at no.32, the highest ranked player on qualification duty.

Likewise, Poland’s Jakub Dyjas overcame India’s Harmeet Desai (11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 13-11), the winner in the previous round against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An (11-9, 2-11, 5-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-9, 13-11), at no.55 on the rankings, a player predicted to qualify.

It was no different for Qiu Dang, the winner at the recent ITTF Challenge Polish Open. He beat Frenchman, Bastian Rembert (9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9) the victor one round earlier when confronting Japan’s Masataka Morizono (14-12, 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 8-11, 11-8), at no.43 on the rankings expected to progress. One round later he caused yet another upset, he ousted Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia (11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3). On the current world rankings, Tiago Apolonia is at no.58, Qiu Dang at no.77.

Not to be outdone, Lam Siu Hang accounted for Austria Stefan Fegerl (7-11, 13-15, 9-11, 13-15, 8-11, 11-7, 11-1), the winner in the immediate prior round against India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta (11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6), at no.34on the rankings, the second highest rated on qualification duty.

Test of stamina

Russia’s Alexander Shibaev emerged the player with the greatest level of stamina. In the third preliminary round, he recovered from a three games to nil deficit to beat Slovenia’s Deni Kozul by the very narrowest of margins (4-11, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 13-11), before in the crucial determining round prevailing against Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck in an even closer contest (10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 7-11, 17-15).

The win against Cédric Nuytinck was an upset. Listed at no.47 on the world rankings, the Belgium was the player predicted to progress; currently Alexander Shibaev is named at no.93.

A notable upset in the final preliminary round; it was the same for Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan. Listed at no.61 on the present day rankings, he beat Sweden’s Jon Persson, named at no.53 (15-13, 11-7, 3-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8) and expected to progress to reserve his main draw place.

Seconds out, round two

On Sunday 8th February, Iran’s Nima Alamian and Noshad Alamiyan won the men’s doubles title at the 2020 ITTF Challenge Portugal Open in Lisbon; in Budapest, they were beaten in the second preliminary round. They lost to Romania’s Cristian Pletea and Rares Sipos (13-11, 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 11-7).

Defeat for Nima Alamian and Noshad Alamiyan, the second highest rated pair on duty, it was the same in the women’s doubles; the French pairing of Stéphanie Loeuillette and Audrey Zarif lost to Germany’s Chantal Mantz and Wan Yuan (11-7, 11-7, 11-4).

India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, the leading pair on qualification men’s doubles duty booked their main draw place as did Romania’s Irina Ciobanu and Elizabeta Samara in the women’s doubles. Similarly, in the mixed doubles there was progress for the top pair, Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic and Izabela Lupulesku.

Read 4045 times

Soccer

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe draw for the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals was made on Frid...

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFind out who is missing through injury, who's in a race against tim...

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Premier League has announced changes to its Associated Party Tr...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Detroit guard Cade Cunningham left Thursday nigh...

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPhiladelphia 76ers star Paul George has a bone bruise in his left k...

Baseball

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani is in the early stages of rehabbing fr...

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The St. Petersburg City Council reversed co...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated