On the penultimate day of play, Friday 13th May, at the ITTF Para Slovenia Open in Lasko, competing in group organised events, surprise winners appeared.

Spain’s Eduardo Cuesta and Frenchman Timothe Ivaldi emerged the unexpected winners in men’s doubles class 22; the pairing of the Czech Republic’s Denisa Macurova and Ukraine’s Natalya Kosmina upset the order to claim women’s doubles class 22 gold.

Not to be outdone, Italy’s Lorenzo Cordua partnering Turkey’s Merve Demir did the same in mixed doubles class 20.

Eduardo Cuesta and Timothe Ivaldi finished in first place ahead of Japan’s Takeshi Takamori and Koya Kato with top seeds, Frenchman Lucas Creange and Antoine Zhao in third position.

An unblemished record, it was the same for Lorenzo Cordua and Turkey’s Merve Demir, the one pair in mixed doubles class 20 to complete their series of matches, the crucial contest being the win against the combination of Belgium’s Laurens Devos and Hungary’s Alexa Svitacs, the top seeds (13-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7).

The only pair to complete their schedule of matches, it was the same for Denisa Macurova and Ukraine’s Natalya Kosmina; the notable result being the win recorded in opposition to Poland’s Krystina Lysiak and Dorota Nowacka, the top seeds (11-4, 8-11, 9-11, 11-4).

Surprise men’s doubles results

Surprise outcomes, it was no different as the men’s doubles events advanced to the final round.

In class 4, Poland’s Rafal Czuper and Tomas Jakimczuk, the top seeds, experienced a quarter-final defeat against Brazil’s Guilherme Marcio da Costa and Iranildo Espndola (11-4, 11-7, 11-2); in turn they were beaten Frenchmen Fabien Lamirault and Julien Michaud (11-5, 11-7, 11-8).

At the final hurdle Fabien Lamirault and Julien Michaud oppose Slovakia’s Martin Ludrovsky and Jan Riapos.

Likewise, there was an upset in class 8. Germany’s Valentin Baus and Thomas Schmdberger, the top seeds, departed in the opening round. They lost to Argentina’s Gabriel Copola and Elias Romero (6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9).

Progress was short lived; the South American duo experienced a quarter-final reverse when opposing Serbia’s Mladen Ciric and Mitar Palikuca (13-11, 11-4, 11-9). The Serbs duly beat Korea Republic’s Kim Junggil and Kim Younggun (11-7, 11-5, 2-11, 15-17, 11-9) and now meet Wanchai Chaiwut and Yuttajak Glinbanchuen.

Problems for top seeded pairs, repeated in class 10; Poland’s Piotr Grudzien and Igor Misztal bid farewell in the penultimate round. They lost to the French pairing of Mateo Boheas and Thomas Bouvais (14-12, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8); in the final they meet Ukraine’s Lev Kats and Ivan Mai.

Unexpected mixed doubles outcomes

Similarly in the mixed doubles there were surprises, Japanese pairs in evidence.

On duty in class 17, Koyo Iwabuchi and Yuri Tomono the top seeds, realised a semi-final defeat at the hands of Bart van der Zanden and Frederique van Hoof (11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5). At the same stage Takeshi Takamori and Nanakrepeatedo Hazeyama beat the French combination of Lucas Creange and Lea Ferney (11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8) the leading pair in class 22.

Bart van der Zanden and Frederique van Hoof now meet Hungary’s Dezso Bereczk and Zsofia Arloy, Takeshi Takamori and Nanako Hazeyama oppose the pairing of Spain’s Eduardo Cuesta and Turkey’s Merve Demir.

Top seeds reach final

Surprise finalists, in the remaining events the top seeds all booked final places.

Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom and Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri meet Brazil’s Paulo Salmin and Israel Stroh in the men’s singles class 14 final.

In a similar vein, in the mixed doubles, at the ultimate hurdle in class 4, top seeds Korea Republic’s Park Jincheol and Seo Suyeon face Chilchitraryak Bootswarina and Thirayu Chueawong, like Rungroj Thainiyom and Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri, from Thailand.

Also, in class 7, Kim Junggil and Yoon Jiyu confront Germany’s Thomas Brüchle and Sandra Mikolaschek; in class 10, the pairing of Frenchman Nicolas Savant-Aira and Croatia’s Andela Muzinic oppose Thailand’s Wanchai Chaiwut and Wijittra Jaion.

Meanwhile, in class 14, Ukraine’s Viktor Didukh and Maryna Lytovchenko play Jean-Paul Montanus and Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands.

Final places for the top seeds, in the women’s doubles, in class 5, Korea Republic’s Lee Migyu advanced to the final where they meet Italy’s Michela Brunelli and Giada Rossi; in class 10, Serbia’s Nada Matic and Borislava Peric-Rankovic oppose the partnership formed by Germany’s Sandra Mikolaschek and Alexandra Saint-Pierre.

Very much in a similar manner, in class 14, the partnership of Hungary’s Zsofia Arloy and Turkey’s Neslihan Kavas meet Germany’s Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf; in class 20, Turkey’s Merve Demir and Neslihan Kavas draw swords against Brazil’s Danielle Rauen and Jennyfer Parinos.

Play in Lasko concludes on Saturday 14th May.