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The Kawhi pitch: Toronto's best case to keep its superstar free agent

Published in Basketball

Saturday, 01 June 2019 10:53

What does Kawhi want?

This is the essential question that has occupied the Toronto Raptors since their bold trade for Kawhi Leonard last July. Leonard is one of the NBA's most inscrutable superstars, a man of few words and little subtext.

He's not uncommunicative, but he is quite literal. When he was asked after the Raptors' Game 2 blowout road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, "Where do you go from here?" Leonard replied, "To Toronto for Game 3." This isn't a player interested in disseminating messages in the media to convey his feelings or leverage his power.

For NBA teams, trafficking in superstars is a two-part process -- acquisition, then retention -- and it's that latter stage that presents the greatest challenge. Any front office with the requisite assets can trade for a superstar, but only one skilled at the art of persuasion can keep him. Tied 1-1 with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals (Game 3, 9 p.m. ET on ABC), the Raptors will soon shift their attention to the retention project they've been planning for nearly a year -- signing Leonard to a long-term contract in free agency to remain in Toronto.

How do you sell someone not easily sold? How do you sculpt a pitch about external factors when the target of that pitch is someone so internally focused? What can you really offer that other leading NBA organizations can't? How can the Raptors compensate for their geographic disadvantage to a team like the LA Clippers in recruiting a Southern Californian whose preference for temperate climes is well-known?

The Raptors executed the trade last summer with the belief that, when it came time to make their sale to Leonard, they'd be a strong incumbent with a track record of competence and achievement. This is the case Toronto can make to Leonard with confidence.

Kawhi:

When we started crafting our pitch to you to make the Raptors your long-term home, we realized that the most important considerations aren't necessarily the things we think we do well as an NBA franchise, but the things you believe are most important as an NBA superstar. This decision is about both your professional and personal lives, and it's the first real opportunity you've had to choose a home with no restrictions.

Your honesty is one of the qualities we most admire in you, so in identifying the factors we feel at work in this decision, we'd be smart to take you at your word. We think about your introductory news conference from last September, when you were asked what you want most to accomplish in your NBA career.

You responded, "Just be able to be healthy. That's my No. 1 goal -- play a long, healthy career, be able to be dominant wherever I land. That's about it. I want to win championships and get in those record books."

You're a rare breed -- a player who is well-aware of his greatness, but who also appreciates the limitations of a human body against the grueling NBA schedule. That's why when you arrived in Toronto, you clearly articulated your expectations: A commitment to your physical health was what you wanted from our organization this season, above all else. That meant a coordinated effort in which every stakeholder -- you, our front office, our coaching staff, our medical team, those you trust to advise you -- would work toward that common goal.

It's fair to say that, over the past year, Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors together created a new template for the NBA. You know as we do that what was referred to casually -- and often dismissively -- in the media as "load management" was so much more than your finding rest on back-to-back stretches. It was a collaborative and thoughtful process befitting of an athlete who plays with uncommon magnitude and force, whose every movement on the court is a portrait of intention.

You teamed up with our director of sports science Alex McKechnie, physiotherapist Amanda Joaquim, as well as others in our organization, and methodically navigated your output to perfection. When you said in March that the NBA's regular season was "82 practices," we fully embraced that characterization, just as we endorsed your larger approach. McKechnie, for years, has been at the forefront of this performance movement, and we consider your partnership with him an achievement.

We're a forward-thinking NBA franchise that understands that there are many reasons you've been the MVP of the 2019 playoffs -- your talent, preparation, temperament. But there's also your devotion to best practices. We look at an otherworldly superstar like James Harden and wonder had he not crossed the 3,000 minute threshold sometime during Game 4 of the Rockets' first-round series -- a multiyear pattern for him -- whether we'd be facing Houston and not Golden State in the Finals.

There are stars, front offices and coaches who reject this thinking, who reside in an old-world sensibility where toughing it out in a "man's league" is the dominant worldview. Not us. Like you, we appreciate that every small decision is part of a much larger whole. There's no one game, single practice or individual workout that stands apart from the greater goal of winning a championship; every choice impacts the greater outcome.

Watching you go about your business on a daily basis has been a revelation to us. From the moment you arrive at the facility, it's an exercise in machine-like efficiency: weights, shots, medical, film, practice, ice, and whatever else your preparation demands. Not a moment or movement wasted. And it's not simply that we admire how you put in a day's work -- we've learned from it. You made us aware early on that you're a player accustomed to structure, and we listened. As a result, we're a better basketball operation today than when you arrived, something that has been borne out this spring.

Our head coach, Nick Nurse, has won at every level throughout his career -- but more importantly, he's a listener. When you asked questions about defensive rotations or coverage schemes, we explained that our principles of ball pressure and getting in gaps were less specific in their directives, but over the course of the regular season and playoffs, we melded our approaches. In doing so, we extinguished the East's top-ranked offense, rendering it impotent in a six-game series.

On the other end, we installed an offense that both maximizes the collective intelligence and inherent unselfishness of our unit, but also empowers your exceptional individual skill set. We've worked with you to put you in the best position to succeed on a given possession by furnishing you with the brightest teammates who intuitively understand where, when and how you like the ball. While we respect that you'll survey the field for other franchises with talent, we are steadfast in our belief that you will not find another roster with more professionalism, experience and unselfishness. Nor will you find a collection of teammates with a willingness to defer to your dominance at the biggest moments, while doing all the little things required for you to succeed in those moments.

We have veteran players who still have productive seasons ahead, and young players who are only going to get better, including Pascal Siakam, who is projected to walk away with the league's Most Improved Player award in a landslide. We selected him with the 27th pick, just as we have overperformed with so many of our younger players: We stole Norman Powell from Milwaukee by sending out Greivis Vasquez, found OG Anunoby with the 23rd pick, and picked up off the scrap heap an undrafted Fred VanVleet, who has been crucial in helping you win the biggest games in Raptors franchise history.

We could tell you why we think Toronto is the greatest basketball city on the continent, how being the face of a truly national franchise is a privilege, but we also know that you might value the strengths of our market differently than others. We appreciate that peripherals aren't as important to you, but we know that a professional workplace devoid of external noise is. And we present the events of the last 10 months as evidence that, in this respect, the Toronto Raptors are a perfect fit for Kawhi Leonard.

An NBA team with a pending free-agent superstar can be beset by intrigue and disruption, but despite the uncertainty about your future, our season together was devoid of high drama. That's a testament both to your character and our commitment to doing things the right way: We didn't succumb to distractions because, together, we simply wouldn't allow it. If there's an organization that has produced a more harmonious season of basketball in recent years with such uncertainty, we haven't seen it. This wasn't a fluke; we believe it is -- and will be -- a fundamental feature of the Toronto Raptors in a Kawhi Leonard Era.

But more than anything, our boldest selling point is you -- specifically, our decision last summer to change the course of our franchise in an effort to make you a Toronto Raptor. Our rivals in the Eastern Conference had greater resources and assets necessary to acquire you. We can't say why they didn't. Perhaps they didn't believe you could restore yourself to full health, or you weren't worth their best prospects. Maybe they didn't have sufficient faith that the overall quality of their organization would be enough to convince you to stay.

We took the risk they didn't, not only because we were confident you'd find the conditions for both health and on-court success to be present in Toronto, but because we also understood that you would make us a better NBA franchise -- you would make us the kind of organization that would be the best long-term home for Kawhi Leonard.

Coming soon: The case for the Clippers

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Mets' Cano (quad) returns from 2-week absence

Published in Baseball

Wednesday, 05 June 2019 13:43

NEW YORK -- The Mets have activated All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano from the injured list.

Cano was set to bat third for New York against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night. He has been out since May 22 with a strained left quadriceps.

He said Sunday that he hoped to be active for the series opener Tuesday, but he was held back an extra day.

Acquired last offseason from Seattle, Cano is hitting .241 with three homers and 13 RBIs for New York. He has been criticized for failing to hustle on a few groundouts this season then was injured running one out.

Outfielder Aaron Altherr was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

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Carrasco has blood condition, out indefinitely

Published in Baseball

Wednesday, 05 June 2019 12:53

Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco has been diagnosed with a blood condition and "is stepping away from baseball activities to explore the optimal treatment and recovery options," the team announced Wednesday.

The team said that Carrasco had been feeling lethargic for several weeks and that details of Carrasco's illness "will be conveyed at Carlos and his family's discretion."

It is not known when he might rejoin the club, but the team did say it expects him to return "at some point this season."

We have placed RHP Carlos Carrasco on the Injured List due to a non-baseball, medical condition.
Please keep Cookie and his family in your thoughts during this challenging time.#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/rA5tCyX2DL
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) June 5, 2019

"At this time, our primary concern is Carlos' health and we will respect his wishes to keep this a private matter," the team said.

Carrasco, 32, was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 2. He is 4-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 starts this season and has played his entire 10-season big league career in Cleveland with an 83-68 record in 219 appearances (183 starts).

Carrasco, who went 17-10 in 2018 after posting an 18-6 mark in 2017, signed a $47 million, four-year contract in December.

The Indians, who are 10 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the AL Central entering Wednesday's games, also optioned outfielder Greg Allen to Triple-A Columbus and recalled right-handers Jon Edwards and Nick Goody from Triple-A.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Katie Boulter to miss Nature Valley Open in Nottingham but hopeful of Wimbledon return

Published in Tennis

Wednesday, 05 June 2019 10:35

British number two Katie Boulter will miss the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham but hopes to recover from a back injury in time for Wimbledon.

The tournament begins on Monday, three weeks before the start of Wimbledon.

Boulter, 22, was named in the French Open draw before withdrawing, despite not having not played since Britain's Fed Cup win over Kazakhstan in April.

"Been getting stronger every day but unfortunately Nottingham is going to be too soon," she said on social media.

"I'm so gutted, especially as this tournament is so close to my heart. Nothing beats playing back where it all started!

"However, I'm still really hopeful to be back for the grass-court season."

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Konta semi-final moved to Friday after Wednesday washout

Published in Tennis

Wednesday, 05 June 2019 09:54

Johanna Konta's maiden French Open semi-final has been pushed back to Friday after rain washed out Wednesday's play in Paris.

The British number one, 28, was set to meet Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in the last four on Thursday.

But downpours on Wednesday meant the remaining women's singles quarter-finals could not be played.

They will take place on Thursday instead, with both semi-finals now on Friday.

The weather in Paris is forecast to be brighter on Thursday with a chance of a brief shower in the afternoon.

However, more rain is forecast for Friday which has led tournament director Guy Forget to "study worst-case scenarios".

One of the women's semi-finals could be moved to Court Simonne Mathieu if a decision is made to use Roland Garros' third show court alongside Chatrier and Lenglen in a bid to complete the matches.

Forget added it was possible the women's final could be pushed back to Sunday, with the men's final switching to Monday.

"It's not what we hope, but if we have no other choice, then that's what we will do," he said.

Konta, seeded 26th, is bidding to become the first British woman to reach the French Open final since Sue Barker in 1976.

Romania's defending champion Simona Halep was due to play American teenager Amanda Anisimova in their quarter-final on Wednesday, while Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty was scheduled to meet American 14th seed Madison Keys.

The rain also saw the two remaining men's quarter-finals cancelled, meaning all four matches will be played from 11:00 BST on Thursday.

World number one Novak Djokovic plays German fifth seed Alexander Zverev, while Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem meets Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov.

British pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are also set to begin their French Open wheelchair campaigns on Thursday, with the singles and doubles draws taking place later on Wednesday.

Hewett won the singles title in 2017, while Reid has twice won the doubles at Roland Garros.

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

This is the final Grand Slam which will ever be played without the luxury of a roof, and its absence certainly favours those in the bottom half of either draw.

The likes of Halep and Barty are likely to have to play three matches in three days to win the title.

The likes of Djokovic and Thiem face three matches in four days if they are to lift the trophy.

It's not a huge disadvantage for the women, as they are used to playing back-to-back matches on the WTA Tour.

But it is more of an issue for the men, who play best of five sets in a Grand Slam. And as we have already seen this fortnight, those matches can sometimes last for over five hours.

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Konta playing better tennis than anybody, says Barker

Published in Tennis

Wednesday, 05 June 2019 10:25

Johanna Konta is playing "better tennis than anybody" and can win her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, says 1976 champion Sue Barker.

The British number one, 28, meets Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in a last-four match pushed back to Friday by bad weather on Wednesday in Paris.

No British woman has reached the Roland Garros final since Barker won her only Grand Slam in Paris 43 years ago.

"Jo is playing the best tennis I have ever seen her play," Barker said.

American great Billie Jean King agreed with Barker, saying Konta was now a better player than she was when she reached the 2017 Wimbledon semi-finals.

Konta, seeded 26th, has only dropped one set in her march to the semi-finals and produced a stunning performance to beat American seventh seed Sloane Stephens in Tuesday's quarter-final.

Konta will compete in her third Grand Slam semi-final - on a third different surface - after also losing in the 2016 Australian Open last four.

She had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros until this year.

"It is her mental approach to matches. She used to have a wobble in matches and sometimes let the other player back in, but she just hasn't had that in any match," said Barker, a former world number three.

"She dropped one set but even in that match she looked really good.

"I am really impressed that she is playing that well for the whole match. Her confidence must be sky high, hitting the ball that well and feeling it so well.

"She can go all the way here, I think she is playing the best tennis of anybody."

Rain washed out Wednesday's play in Paris, meaning the two remaining women's quarter-finals will take place on Thursday.

Romania's defending champion Simona Halep will play American 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova, with Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty facing American 14th seed Madison Keys.

Konta's semi-final was pushed back to Friday to ensure both last-four matches are played on the same day.

King, a 12-time Grand Slam singles champion, says any of the women left in the draw are capable of lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen following Saturday's final.

"I don't know if we have a favourite. I really do think it's wide open," said King, who has been announced as the ambassador for the revamped Fed Cup.

"Konta is in the best position she's ever been because she's had more experience, she's won more.

"She's really concentrating well and she's hitting so big. Her serve's big, her groundstrokes are big.

"She's totally focused right now - she just needs to stay the way she is. But she's going to have to think because of the creativity of Vondrousova."

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Update day two qualification: Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Hang Seng Hong Kong Open

Published in Table Tennis

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 17:57

African hopes take a hit

With Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna gaining automatic entry to the men’s singles Round of 32 the question was whether Egypt’s Omar Assar could join his fellow African in the main event? – The answer was no.

Establishing an early lead in his final qualification fixture but Omar Assar failed to pick up another game as Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic made the perfect response, winning four games in a row to seal the victory (6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5).

Swedish stars qualify

Against the odds Sweden’s Jon Persson has qualified for the men’s singles draw in Hong Kong, inflicting a surprise 4-1 defeat upon his significantly higher ranked opponent from Austria, Daniel Habesohn (11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 11-6, 12-10). Truls Moregard also saw off notable opposition, earning an impressive six games victory over Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu (13-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-2, 1-11, 11-7).

“It was a good win and both of us performed well in the match. This is the first time I have played in Hong Kong. There were many spectators watching the match and the atmosphere was great. I really enjoy playing here.” Truls Moregard

Home delight

With the back of the home crowd Minnie Soo Wai Yam has successfully qualified for the women’s singles event, beating Korea Republic’s Choi Hyojoo across six games (11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9).

“I am happy that I won the match and I’m satisfied with my overall performance. The atmosphere and support from all the Hong Kong citizens was awesome! I truly believed they provided luck and power to me to win the match.” Minnie Soo Wai Yam

What a comeback!

While Polina Mikhailova’s campaign may be over, for fellow Russian compatriot Yana Noskova the journey continues after pulling off a sensational comeback in her preliminary round three encounter.

Trailing by a 0-3 games deficit Yana Noskova won four games on the bounce to emerge victorious over Romanian star Elizabeta Samara 4-3 (12-14, 9-11, 8-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9).

Brave effort but Polina Mikhailova missed out

Russia’s Polina Mikhailova has missed out on the opportunity to compete in the main draw of the women’s singles event, falling to China’s Wang Yidi across six games in the third preliminary round (11-9, 10-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-3).

Another Chinese representative joining Wang Yidi in the main event is Sun Mingyang following her straight games win against Slovak Republic’s Barbora Balazova (11-8, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7).

Czech stars complete stunning recovery

Tomas Polansky and Pavel Sirucek have qualified for the men’s doubles event after the Czech duo completed a fine comeback from 1-2 down to topple China’s Wang Chuqin and Xue Fei by a 3-2 score-line (11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7).

For Hong Kong there was defeat as Kwan Man Ho and Li Hon Ming lost out to France’s Tristan Flore and Emmanuel Lebesson (10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3).

Positives and negatives for Spain

Maria Xiao will represent Spain in the women’s doubles draw but it comes at a cost for her country as she and Canadian partner Zhang Mo had to eliminate the Spanish pair of Galia Dvorak and Liu Xin on their way success (11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7).

We also lost the highly capable doubles pairing of Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz and Melanie Diaz, who fell at the hands of Thailand’s Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawettabut (6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8).

Huge comeback display from Serbian pair

Down 0-2 in the second preliminary round, Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic and Izabela Lupulesku showed great character to fight their way back to a 3-2 victory over the Czech duo of Tomas Polansky and Hana Matelova (7-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5).

Success for Aleksandar Karakasevic and Izabela Lupulesku sees them reserve their spot in the main draw.

Chuang Chih-Yuan defeated!

One of the biggest names involved in qualification action but Chuang Chih-Yuan has missed out on the opportunity to compete at the main event with the Chinese Taipei player losing out to up-and-coming German star Qiu Dang in straight games (11-6, 15-13, 11-4, 11-8).

Another German victory came courtesy of Ricardo Walther, who stormed to a 4-0 success against Andrea Landrieu of France (11-4, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6).

Chinese duo prevail

Ma Te and Zhou Yu have moved one step closer to the main draw with the Chinese competitors successfully negotiating preliminary round two.

Fighting back from two games down Ma Te held the upper hand in his encounter against Russia’s Kirill Skachkov (6-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-1, 12-10, 11-9) while Zhou Yu needed just five games to see off Italy’s Mihai Bobocica (11-7, 12-10, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6).

Truls Moregard moves through

An exciting young prospect for Swedish table tennis, Truls Moregard has progressed to the third and final round of men’s singles qualification after posting a notable 4-2 win in his meeting with Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia (11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4).

Indians impress

India’s Amalraj Anthony has pulled off one of the biggest upsets of his career to date in Hong Kong, recovering from a 1-3 games deficit to see off Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An by a 4-3 margin (11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8). Sathiyan Gnanasekaran also guided India to victory in the second preliminary round, beating Hungarian opponent Adam Szudi across five games (7-11, 11-8, 11-2, 13-11, 11-2).

Elsewhere, there was a surprise win for Paul Drinkhall as the Englishman emerged victorious over Japan’s Masataka Morizono in a seven-game thriller (11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 15-13).

Pan American progress

Canada’s Zhang Mo, Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz and Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi all negotiated the second women’s singles preliminary round in some style.

Zhang Mo beat Sweden’s Christina Källberg (18-16, 14-16, 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8), Adriana Diaz accounted for India’s Ayhika Mukherjee (11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6); Bruna Takahashi ended the hopes of Croatia’s Mateja Jeger (7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 12-10, 7-11, 11-3).

Miyu Kato makes intentions clear

Japan’s Miyu Kato, winner earlier in the year at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Spanish Open and quarter-finalist at the recent Liebherr 2019 World Championships, the leading name on women’s singles qualification duty in Hong Kong, made her intentions crystal clear.

In her opening contest she beat Spain’s Galia Dvorak in four straight games (11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8).

Europeans enjoy success

There were notable successes for European players as the matters progressed in the second women’s singles preliminary round.

Sweden’s Linda Bergström beat Russia’s Olga Vorobeva (18-16, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11), Hungary’s Georgina Pota accounted for Thailand’s Orawan Paranang (11-7, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6), Romania’s Elizabeta Samara ended the hopes of Hong Kong’s Lam Yee Lok. Earlier in the day, the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova had ousted Chinese Taipei’s Li Yu-Jhun (11-6, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7).

Disappointment for Hong Kong

The host association’s Mak Tze Wing Chau Wing Sze both experienced second women’s singles preliminary round defeats.

Chau Wing Sze was beaten by Russia’s Yana Noskova (11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9); Mak Tze Wing lost to Korea Republic’s Kim Hayeong (11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 13-11). The name of Kim Hayeong may not be familiar, as Li Yiran she was a member of the Chinese junior team

Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour, Hang Seng Hong Kong Open: Qualification Schedule – Tuesday 4th & Wednesday 5th May

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Double trouble for Japan, can two lefts make everything right?

Published in Table Tennis

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 18:56

They were beaten in the first preliminary round of the men’s doubles event by Russia’s Alexey Liventsov and Mikhail Paikov, they suffered in four games (11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6).

Make no mistake, the Russian pair is one of quality, most notably they reached the semi-final stage of the men’s doubles event the 2014 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Bangkok.

However, the current focus for all coaches is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; playing on home soil, Japan will want to match the men’s team achievement of Rio de Janeiro when they ended proceedings the silver medallists. However, with the emerge in the past four years of Tomokazu Harimoto does that present a team selection problem?

In Rio de Janeiro the team comprised Jun Mizutani, Koki Niwa and Maharu Yoshimura. The selection was straightforward, Jun Mizutani being left handed like Koki Niwa, either could partner the right handed Maharu Yoshimura in the doubles. Always Koki Niwa allied with Maharu Yoshimura, Jun Mizutani, the leading name, was always selected for the two singles matches.

Now in Tokyo the doubles in the team event will be the first match and Tomokazu Harimoto is now Japan’s leading name. Judging by results, it would appear that Jun Mizutani and Koki Niwa will line up alongside Tomokazu Harimoto.

The question posed, Tomokazu Harimoto is right handed, a right hander with a left hander is perceived as the best combination; does he play in the doubles with either Jun Mizutani or Koki Niwa and thus only play one singles?

Alternatively do Jun Mizutani and Koki Niwa form the doubles pair? In Hong Kong the partnership of Jun Mizutani and Koki Niwa did not fire but there are thoughts that with the modern day “banana” backhand return of service, forearm high, racket circumnavigating the ball that two left handers together could be most effective.

Prior to banana time, the combination worked for Frenchmen Patrick Chila and Jean-Philippe Gatien, the won men’s doubles bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; can the same combination now work for Jun Mizutani and Koki Niwa? Can two lefts make everything right?

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Wellbet announced Official Sponsor of Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Australian Open

Published in Table Tennis

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 20:21

The online gaming company is rapidly becoming one of the most popular online entertainment sites in Asia. Wellbet previously sponsored Italy’s premier football league, Serie A, in 2016-2017 and is currently the official sponsor of Dutch football giant, PSV Eindhoven.

Mark Lu, Director of Communications at Wellbet

Kimberly Koh, Head of Sponsorship at ITTF

This will be the landmark 10th edition of the Australian Open, which belongs to the ITTF World Tour Platinum Series. This is the top tier of six events, offering higher prize money and world ranking points than the six Regular events on the ITTF World Tour, thus attracting the sport’s biggest star players, leading to greater media output and promotional activities.

The 2019 Australian Open will see players compete in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles categories, in the quest for points to qualify for the season-ending Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.

Stay tuned for more updates on this year’s Australian Open and the entire 2019 ITTF World Tour journey on ITTF.com as well as the ITTF’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Weibo.

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London gold medallist heads Thai challenge in Cancun

Published in Table Tennis

Tuesday, 04 June 2019 20:52

Competing in class 6, Rungroj Thainiyom is the most celebrated name amongst the Thai visitors but he is not alone in terms of his country’s quality; in the men’s singles events Yuttajak Glinbanchuen, Anurak Laowong and Wanchai Chaiwut, alongside Maitree Kongruang all compete in the wheelchair classes.

Meanwhile, in addition to Rungroj Thainiyom, Charlermpong Punpoo is also on duty in the standing competitions.

All have enjoyed international success. Last December competing on home soil in Chiang Mai at the 2018 Para Thailand Open Yuttajak Glinbanchuen beat Anurak Laowong in the class 3 final. Likewise earlier this year there was also gold for Wanchai Chaiwut, he won class 4 at the Lignano Masters in northern Italy. Additionally, Maitree Kongruang enjoyed success in 2017 in Taichung, he was a bronze medallist in class 5; not to be upstaged, last year in class 7 at the Asian Para Championships it was silver for Charlermpong Punpoo.

Notable names from Thailand, there are also notable male names from other foreign shores.

Gold medallist in class 7 at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Frenchman Stéphane Messi competes, as does Japan’s Koyo Iwabuchi, the class 9 bronze medallist at the 2018 World Para Championships. Similarly, in class 6 the Chilean names of Matias Pino and Cristian Dettoni appear; at the 2015 Para Pan American Games and at the 2017 Para Pan American Championships, Matias Pino won gold, Cristian Dettoni silver.

A major challenge from abroad, there are also prominent names from the host nation; Edith Sigala and Martha Verdin compete in the women’s singles events, Victor Reyes is on men’s singles duty. Similar to Matias Pino, competing in class 3, Edith Sigala won gold at the 2015 Para Pan American Games, the same at the 2017 Para Pan American Championships.

In a similar vein at the 2017 Para Pan American Championships Martha Verdin secured class 4 gold, Vitor Reyes, class 2 gold.

Overall a total of 77 men and 17 women will compete in Cancun.

2019 Para Copa Christina Hoffmann Open: Draw for individual events (Wednesday 5th June)

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