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NEW YORK -- Bryce Harper's first game at Citi Field as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies began with a long rain delay and ended with a short stay. Harper was ejected in the top of the fourth inning of a 5-1 loss after chirping from the bench after he struck out looking on a high fastball.
Four batters after Harper struck out on the 2-2 pitch, during the middle of Cesar Hernandez's at-bat, umpire Mark Carlson ejected Harper. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler rushed out of the dugout to argue. Harper then sprinted out from the dugout sans helmet, and Kapler had to push him away from Carlson. Harper continued to yell and point towards Carlson and had to be restrained.
"It just can't happen," Harper said. "In a game like that against the Mets, division rival, things like that, it just can't happen. For myself and this team, as well. We're a better team with me in the lineup, and I gotta stay in that game."
Phillies starter Jake Arrieta agreed.
"We need him in right field," he told reporters after the game. "I don't care how bad (the ump) is, I need him in right field, I need him at the plate and he wasn't there. So that hurts. He missed some pitches but for both sides. If that's the case, that happens on a nightly basis usually. The umpire is going to miss some calls. So what? Next pitch. We've got a game to play.
"I'm not happy with the way we showed up today. We need to come out tomorrow ready to go."
It was Harper's 12th career ejection and, incredibly, the first Phillies player to get ejected from a game since Justin De Fratus on June 16, 2015. Harper is second among active players in ejections, trailing only Matt Kemp, who has 14 and entered the majors six years before Harper.
"I have to stay in that game for the organization, the fans. I have to do better," Harper said. "These games matter. They matter now, they matter in September."
Kapler didn't believe Harper deserved to be ejected. "There was normal chirping from the dugout that is in every dugout every single night," he said. "It was no different."
Kapler said the Phillies were not happy with Carlson's strike zone: "Our dugout did not agree with a lot of Mark's calls. I think everyone can go back and look at the game and form their own opinions."
The pitch Carlson rung up Harper on was a fastball up in the zone and on the outside corner, but certainly a reasonable call according to strike-zone data. A previous called strike in the at-bat was even more borderline at the top of the zone.
Harper didn't say much to Carlson as he walked to the dugout after the call, but he apparently kept yelling from the bench. He had also struck out in the first inning, taking two pitches for strikes from Steven Matz and then swinging through a 2-2 slider.
Harper is hitting .272/.410/.531 but has now struck out 29 times in 22 games and is on pace for 213 strikeouts. He fanned a career-high 169 times last season in 159 games.
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NEW YORK -- Let's put it this way: Nobody looks better when he's getting ejected from a game than Bryce Harper.
Bryce Harper wasn't having it tonight ? pic.twitter.com/DwnzRMtX46
— ESPN (@espn) April 23, 2019
Harper was ejected for the 12th time in his career in the Philadelphia Phillies' 5-1 loss to the New York Mets on Monday, but at least it was a display of modern art worthy of a showing at the Guggenheim. Consider the mechanics of this particular ejection:
(1) It came four batters after Harper had been called out on strikes in the top of the fourth inning. Like a carefully crafted movie script, he let the tension build until the moment called for some action.
(2) He let Phillies manager Gabe Kapler spring first out of the dugout, creating added tension and confusion as to what exactly was going on.
(3) Harper, in his fury to charge after umpire Mark Carlson, slipped on the dugout steps. This could have been a disastrous moment for Harper and the Phillies, a freak injury if he had twisted an ankle or knee.
(4) Kapler shoved him out of the way before Harper could get to Carlson. Again, maybe a lucky break for the Phillies, given that Kapler is maybe the only manager with the appropriate upper-body strength to hold off Harper.
(5) Harper went out with a blaze of glory, continuing to yell and point toward Carlson, with his magnificently coiffed hair on full display.
OK, more seriously, it's not all fun and games when you lose your No. 3 hitter midway through what was a 2-1 game against a key division opponent. Harper admitted as much after the game.
"It just can't happen. In a game like that, against the Mets, division rival, things like that, it just can't happen," he said. "For myself and this team as well. We're a better team with me in the lineup, and I gotta stay in that game. These games matter. They matter now, they matter in September."
Teammate Jake Arrieta, who picked up the loss in the game, admonished Harper after the game: "We need him in right field. I don't care how bad the umpire is. He wasn't great for either side. I'm out there, trying to make pitches, he misses some calls, so what? We need [Bryce] out there."
Kapler was obviously not happy after the game, though he defended Harper and said Carlson's ejection wasn't fair. "There was normal chirping from the dugout that is in every dugout every single night," he said. "It was no different."
Nonetheless, considering that the ejection came four batters after Harper struck out, the chirping had obviously tested Carlson's patience. As Arrieta suggested, ultimately the responsibility sits with the player to remain in the game. In the video, you can see Harper still on the top step of the dugout. He could have said his peace as he walked away from the batter's box and then stewed on the bench.
Of course, Harper isn't new to ejections. Among active players, only Matt Kemp has more, with 14 -- and Kemp reached the majors six years before Harper. Yunel Escobar is third on the active list, with nine, and I'm not sure he's even still active, considering he last appeared in the big leagues in 2017.
Is Harper too much of a hothead? Does he have a reputation with the umpires, fair or not? It's hard to say. His 12 ejections have come from 12 different umpires:
Harper didn't have a ready explanation for this ejection. "I'm usually zero-to-100 anyways, so I feel like all my ejections it's usually pretty calm, and then 'Bam!' once it happens, try to let it out, I guess."
But Harper isn't a young kid anymore. He's in his eighth season in the majors. He knows questionable calls are part of the game -- and the two in the fourth inning weren't even that questionable. As one of the expected leaders of the team, Harper can't allow himself to cross the line or give an umpire the excuse to send him to the showers early.
He knows this. "I have to stay in that game for the organization, the fans. I have to do better," he said.
The Phillies went down quietly after the ejection, with Mets pitchers retiring the final 16 batters in a row as the Phillies dropped their fourth game in five. Harper has to do better on Tuesday, but so do the rest of his teammates.
Elsewhere on Monday ...
Arenado's big night: The Rockies beat the Nationals 7-5, and it was the Nolan Arenado show. He hit two doubles and a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning for his 1,000th career hit, and he turned a slick 5-3 double play to end the game. Here's the home run:
Hit number 1,000 for #28!#NolanBeingNolan ? pic.twitter.com/1PAyitEDLN
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 23, 2019
Arenado got off to a terrible start, with no home runs and six RBIs through the team's first 15 games. Not coincidentally, the Rockies started 3-12. In his past seven games, however, Arenado has gone 10-for-28 with four home runs and nine RBIs, and the Rockies have won seven of eight, losing when he sat out against the Phillies on Saturday.
Cardinals beat up Brewers pitching: The Cardinals turned a 5-4 lead into a 13-5 victory with seven runs in the seventh inning off the back end of the Milwaukee bullpen. The seven runs came courtesy of some 1980s-style Cardinals baseball: hits and walks, not home runs. The rally:
SEVEN RUN SEVENTH! ?
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 23, 2019
Double
Walk
Single
Walk, run
Out, run
Single, run
Single, run
Walk
Single, 2 runs
Out
Single, run
Out pic.twitter.com/9nf1OFLSo7
Earlier in the game, Paul Goldschmidt slugged his ninth home run, and Dexter Fowler hit his first on his way to a 4-for-5 night. Fowler is hitting .313/.403/.433 and even playing center field again with Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill on the IL. Is he back after a terrible 2018? I'm not quite so sure. We don't have updated Statcast numbers after this game, but heading into it, his average exit velocity was actually lower than last season, and he had been credited with zero barrels. He presumably has one after his home run, and just seeing that ".313" mark next to his name has to do something for his confidence.
By the way, if it seems like relief pitching in general has been worse this season, it has. Bullpen ERAs are up from 4.07 to 4.39. Starter ERAs, meanwhile, are almost the same: 4.19 in 2018 and 4.21 in 2019.
Pirates suffer double loss: Joe Musgrove was sailing along with a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning when he allowed a walk and a single, and Clint Hurdle went to the bullpen. Kyle Crick entered, and J.R. Murphy reached on a bunt single, and Blake Swihart reached on an infield single, and the floodgates opened, as the Diamondbacks scored seven in the inning and four more in the eighth.
Worse, reliever Nick Burdi crumpled to the ground in pain after throwing a pitch in the eighth. Burdi reached the majors last year after coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2017 and had been looking like a key cog in the Pittsburgh bullpen, with 17 strikeouts in 8⅓ innings entering this game.
The Pirates said Burdi had right elbow and biceps pain. "It's really quiet right now around the whole clubhouse," Musgrove said after the game.
Polanco punishes Astros: The Twins are starting to look more and more like a team that will give Cleveland a run in the AL Central. They beat the Astros 9-5 as Jorge Polanco went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, including this line-drive home run:
Have a night, Jorge! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/36nnpPshnd
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 23, 2019
Polanco is up to .392/.452/.716 with 13 extra-base hits. Unlike with Fowler, the advanced metrics support the hot start with a higher exit velocity and hard-hit rate than last season. He also has been getting the ball in the air more (31.7 percent fly ball rate compared to 19.3 percent in 2018). With Byron Buxton hitting and Jonathan Schoop off to a solid start, this lineup runs pretty deep. Heck, Jason Castro homered on Monday, and the three-headed catching platoon -- Mitch Garver and Willians Astudillo being the other two backstops -- is hitting a combined .373/.443/.806 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. As good as Polanco has been, the best hitters on the Twins have been the guys behind the plate.
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Top seed depart but no upset
Defending champions and no.2 seeds, Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa duly negotiated the second round of proceedings; they beat the DPR Korea combination formed by Ham Yu Song and Cha Hyo Sim in four straight games (11-8, 11-9, 18-16, 11-5).
Conversely, Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting, the top seeds, experienced defeat at the hands of arguably the best pair in the competition, the players listed at the head of the respective men’s and women’s world rankings. They were beaten by China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning (11-7, 11-9, 18-16, 11-5).
Principal partnership prevail
Top seeds, the Japanese combination formed by Hina Hayata and Mima Ito emerged successful in their opening round encounter as did China’s Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the no.2 seeds.
Hina Hayata and Mima Ito beat Croatia’s Clara Cakol and Ivana Tubikanec (11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8); Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu overcame the Czech Republic’s Karin Adamkova and Aneta Kucerova (11-4, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4).
Leading pairs negotiate opening round
Japan’s Masataka Morizono and Yuya Oshima, the top seeds, alongside Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, the next pair in the order of merit, duly emerged successful in their opening round contests.
Masataka Morizono and Yuya Oshima beat the host nation’s Tamas Lakatos and Bence Majoros (11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4); Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting accounted for Serbia’s Marko Jevtovic and Zolt Peto (11-2, 12-10, 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 11-2)
Germans advance, Nigerian duo prove worthy opponents
Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska eventually succeed in opposition to Nigeria’s Quadri Auna and Olajide Omotayo but they did experience exacting moments; they needed six games to secure victory (13-11, 11-13, 6-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-3)
“I think when we were leading Timo changed something in the match and this diffused our tactics. He showed that he has experience and this really came to fore against us in the match. After we lost the fourth game for the match to be at 2-2, we lost concentration and this really affected us to lose the match. I am so excited playing against Timo today and it was a rare privilege playing against such a great player. I think this will motivate me to aim higher in my career.” Olajide Omotayo
Host nation success
The no.10 seeds, Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm and Hungary’s Georgina Pota made an ideal start to the campaign; in the opening round they beat Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru (11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 11-4).
“In the first game we were leading 9-3. I cannot explain what actually happened for us to lose. We realized that they were playing very fast, too fast. We decided to change tactics by slowing the game down, our tactics really worked and things started to take shape for us.
I think playing in front of your home crowd puts you under pressure. However, I must say it is 50:50 because when they are there they will cheer and this motivates you.” Georgina Pota
Which celebrity would you play doubles with?
If you could choose any celebrity you wanted as your doubles partner who would you choose? Here’s who some of the players at the World Championships would partner up with:
Victory sets up mouth-watering clash
Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning have crushed the hearts of local fans after inflicting a resounding 4-1 defeat upon the Hungarian duo of Nandor Ecseki and Dora Madarasz (11-1, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5). Success for the Chinese combination sets up a huge encounter in round two where they will meet top seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem.
Top seeds show their strength
Bronze medallists in 2015 and 2017, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem are off to a flying start in Budapest. The Hong Kong pair were untroubled throughout the course of their opening round contest, beating Romania’s Cristian Pletea and Elizabeta Samara 4-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-4, 11-5).
Ali Alkhadrawi flies flag for Saudi Arabia
Talented, Ali Alkhadrawi flew the flag for South Africa; he beat Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun in seven games to reserve his main draw place (11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7).
“It was a very difficult match, when I was down 1-3 my coach just told me not to give up. I am very happy and proud to be playing in the main draw of the World Championships. This has been my dream to play in the big stage like the World Championships and I hope to go further now that I am in the main draw. My opponent was very good with the forehand; his attack and service were very difficult for me. I am so happy that I will be playing in the main draw with the best players in the world.” Ali Alkhadrawi
Tom Jarvis exceeds his own expectations
England’s Tom Jarvis excelled expectations; he responded to the occasion to beat India’s Amalraj Anthony to reserve his main draw place (117, 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3).
“I am a bit in shock making it to the main draw of the World Championships because I did not have any expectation like. I just came here to play more matches. Even when the match was at 3-2, I was just thinking of the tactics and how to win each point. It took my mind away from the outcome of the match. So for me playing in the main draw is amazing and I hope to go further from there. I think this is the reward of hard work and late night training.” Tom Jarvis
Mexican magic
A most difficult partnership to face, defensive skills combined with a fearsome forehand top spin; those of Panagiotis Gionis combined with the controlled attacking traits of Ioannis Sgouropoulos. A testing partnership, Mexico’s Marcos Madrid and Ricardo Villa found quick answers; they prevailed in straight games (11-9, 11-7, 11-9).
“Basically we made sure we put the first ball on the table; not take risks. Play short and look for the chance; also we were confident in rallies. We stayed calm.” Marcos Madrid
“When Panagiotis play towards me, I was comfortable against his heavy backspin play and I block his forehand top spins.” Ricardo Villa
Venezuelan progress continues
Venezuela’s Cecilio Correa and Jan Medina, players who paid their own way to be present in Budapest caused a major upse t. The beat Poland’s Patryk Chojnowski and Jajub Dyjas in three straight games (11-5, 11-6, 11-7).
“It was perfect, our short play was very good. We had the right tactics, wait for the opportunity and then play with really heavy top spin.” Cecilio Correa
“We tried to make sure that we were the first to attack; also we had to try to win the points quickly, they were fast and good in rallies. Good short play, heavy top spin, today it perfect.” Jan Medina
Airi Avameri upsets order, tops group
Presently listed at no.289 on the world rankings, Estonia’s Ari Avameri caused an upset of some standing as the group stage of the women’s singles event came to a close. The 18 year old accounted for Nigeria’s 43 year old Olufunke Oshonaike, ranked no.134 and a record three times African champion. She prevailed in five games (11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-1).
“I really wanted to win this match but it was difficult for me because my opponent was using long pimples; this really made it hard for me to predict how she will play. She is a good fighter as well. I thought if I could win the second game, it would be a different ball game entirely. The second game was crucial, I won but lost the match. It is very painful for me losing this match because I prepared well for this tournament. I think this is also good preparation for me for the Africa Cup and African Games; I hope to continue my training and work more on myself before these important tournaments later in the year.” Olufunke Oshonaike
“Before the match I asked a lot of people on how to play against her and what they told me was what I made use of in the match. Also my coach told me what to do during the match. I had decided in my head that I cannot lose, I continued to fight for every point. What also made the match difficult was because we play same style and her pimples sometimes confused me. I am happy I won because I needed the win to be able to top the group” Airi Avameri
Classic: Karakasevic sends Danish legend home
In the battle of experience it was Aleksandar Karakasevic who emerged with a victory to his name – the 43-year-old Serbian player pulled off a mighty comeback from 1-3 down to beat Denmark’s Michael Maze 4-3 (6-11, 7-11, 16-14, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-2) to finish at the summit of the group.
“Despite playing in the second hall, on table 18, the spectators occupied the seats of four tables, nobody passed by without stopping. At the start, Michael Maze was in the driving seat capturing all the points with his intelligent play coupled with his superb ball placement. Even when Aleksandar Karakasevic was down 2-0, the Serbian never gave up as he fought back from 3-1 down to win the classic.” Olalekan Okusan (ITTF Africa Press Officer)
“Playing in this second match of the group, it was like playing the second round of the World Championships in bygone days. It is a bit different now and I love it like this. Maze and I have played several times and he is a good fighter. Our last meeting was at the European Championship and he destroyed me 4-0. You never know what will happen because Maze cannot be predicted. I was lucky in the fourth and fifth games and it was then I began to know that I could win the match. Despite coming back into the game, Maze is really playing well; when we used to play together, we used to play with a lot of top spin but these days, you have to play with power. Maze is still playing well despite coming back into the game after several years of lay-off through injury. ” Aleksandar Karakasevic
“I think I got stressed when I was leading 3-1 and in the match I lost even when I got to 9 points before him. Karakasevic was so consistent in the match and I could not keep my level even when I was up 3-1.” Michael Maze
Paul Drinkhall staying focused
England’s Paul Drinkhall emerged successful in his concluding group stage contest and thus reserved his place in the main draw. He Tyrese Knight of Barbados in four straight games (11-7, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5).
“I think I had a good group winning this second match 4-0 was a bit easy. I starting in the group matches will would surely help prepare for the main draw. I feel good playing from the group and I think this will put me in good position to be ready for the main draw challenge. I just need to stay focused and take each match as it comes. I know I will meet one of the best players in the main draw and I will just go in there and play my game.” Paul Drinkhall
Marcos Madrid, focused on Tokyo
In 2008 he lost the vital Latin American qualification match that would have secured a place in the Beijing Olympic Games; four years later when London was the prize, he did exactly the same. Finally in 2016, he succeeded. Now for Marcos Madrid he is aiming to avoid the same agonies. He secured first place in his initial stage group, accounting for the Czech Republic’s Tomislav Kolarek in four straight games (11-5, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7).
Wining this match was very important for me because getting points from this tournament will help my qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games; this tournament is the first step to Tokyo because every win creases my chances. Also, I am also here to cause surprises.
Great sportsmanship
It’s always refreshing to see the promotion of fair play in amongst the heat of battle, a great example of such sportsmanship came from the host nation’s Tamas Lakatos who immediately indicated that his opponent Akhilen Yogarajah’s shot had clipped the backend of the table. The Hungarian eventually went on to win 4-0 (11-5, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6).
Shock departure, Ng Pak Nam exits
What a shock! Regarded as one of the favourites to reach the main event but Hong Kong’s Ng Pak Nam has missed out on achieving that goal despite beating Slovenia’s Jan Zibrat 4-3 (11-7, 4-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6). All three players in Group 18 obtained three points with Jan Zibrat (7:5) finishing ahead of Ng Pak Nam (7:7) and Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos (5:7) thanks to a superior games ratio record.
Mexican star moves through
Down on one knee, a fist pump in the air and a loud roar, Marcos Madrid storms through the qualification process with flying colours. In the Group 8 decider the Mexican prevailed over Croatia’s Tomislav Kolarek in straight games (11-5, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7) to advance as group winner.
“Winning this match was very important for me because getting points from this tournament would help my qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This tournament is the first step to Tokyo… I am also here to cause surprises.” Marcos Madrid
Dyjas continues perfect run
Jakub Dyjas will appear in the men’s singles main draw after registering his second 4-0 win of Group 1. On Day Two the Polish competitor simply outclassed Estonia’s Vallot Vainula (11-1, 11-7, 12-10, 11-1) to guarantee first position in the group.
Kristin Lang secures top spot
Germany’s Kristin beat Estonia’s Reelica Hanson to secure first place (11-5, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4).
“Unlike the opening round, I felt much better. Finally, I feel like I am at the tournament. I struggled to get used to the conditions in the venue.” Kristin Lang
Top spot for Karin Adamkova
The Czech Republic’s Karin Adamkova was very much a players in form; she secured first place in her group by beating Trinidad and Tobago’s Rheann Chung (11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8).
“It was important to have a good start today, so the opening game was crucial. I had never played against her before, so I studied her yesterday. Yesterday I beat Ivana Tubikanec for the first time. In junior and cadets she had beaten me the previous five times.” Karin Adamkova
Izabela Lupulesku focused
Impressive on the opening day, Izabela Lupulesku once again imposed her authority on proceedings; she accounted for Portugal’s Raquel Martins five games (11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7).
“I needed only two games to progress to the main draw, so I was very focused from the beginnings. I started well and after I won two games, I took the opportunity to try something different from my usual game. I lost third game, but at least I tried something new.” Izabela Lupulesku
Two defeats but a good experience
Losing out to Katsiaryna Baravok on the opening day of action, on Day Two there was a second defeat for Lebanon’s Mariana Sahakian who, despite her best efforts, fell to France’s Laura Gasnier (11-4, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3). However, Sahakian remains in good spirits:
“Despite losing two matches in the singles I think I have enjoyed myself in Budapest, particularly having the opportunity to play in the main hall was an experience I won’t forget in a hurry. Budapest has been a good experience for me that I was able to play against top players with different style of play. I hope to continue to enjoy the moment in Hungary.” Mariana Sahakian
“I played much better then yesterday. My service game worked well and mentally I was very strong. It was an easier round then the opening one. I did not give her any points from easy mistakes. Now I just hope for a good draw.” Laura Gasnier.
Disappointment for Swiss hopeful
The top name in her group but Switzerland’s Rachel Moret has missed out on top spot after suffering a disappointing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Sutirtha Mukherjee (14-12, 12-10, 11-8, 11-9). India’s Mukherjee will move through to the main event, as for Moret she will have to hope her name is drawn in one of only four available “lucky losers” places.
Russian teen tops group
Carrying on from where she left off yesterday, Russia’s Mariia Tailakova produced another commanding performance in qualification action. The 18-year-old star posted a 4-0 victory over Nepal’s Swechchha Nembang (11-1, 11-1, 11-6, 11-4) to seal top spot in Group 3 and thus qualifies for the main draw.
New partnership, convincing display
Dominant from start to finish, there was no stopping the partnership of Panagiotis Gionis and Ioannis Sgouropoulos in their opening contest – the Greek pair needed just three games to see off Mexican opponents Jair Jimenez and Miguel Lara (11-7, 11-8, 12-10).
“This is the first time we are playing together in the doubles and it was good we won our match against the Mexicans. Our next match will also be against a Mexican pair, which is stronger than this team. We are hoping to win so that we can make it to the main draw. It is not easy for a defender and attacker to play together but I hope that as we progress we will get to understand each other. We hope we can make it to the main draw which I know will not be easy but we are hoping for a good draw.” – Panagiotis Gionis
Tough start but progress nonetheless
Trailing by a one game deficit but that wasn’t enough to hold the combination of Chang Hoi Wa and Cheong Chi Cheng back as the Macau duo fought back to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Armin Alicic and Luka Matkovic across five games (11-13, 11-9, 11-3, 5-11, 11-4).
Venezuelan pair a class above
It’s a victory for Venezuela as Cecilio Correa and Jan Medina successfully negotiated their opening men’s doubles encounter with little difficulty. At the first hurdle they proved too strong for the mixed association pair of Luxembourg’s Gilles Michely and Latvia’s Arturs Reinholds (11-5, 11-9, 11-8).
“It was not as easy as it may look, we were better in the short play; at 10-7 in the third game, they hit a wonder shot. Unbelievable, I thought take “Time Out” but decided against it.” Cecilio Corea
“We kept it short most of the time, sometimes long to surprise them.” Jan Medina
Day Two underway
The second day of the Liebherr 2019 World Championships has arrived and with it an exciting programme – for detailed information take a look at the fixture schedule below:
TATA Trickshot Challenge
Before the action gets underway, enjoy watching Hugo Calderano taking on the TATA Trickshot Challenge:
Preview Day Two
Take a look at what’s coming your way on Day Two with our quick preview article:
Preview Day Two: Action intensifies, who will take the spotlight?
Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos causes major upset
Konstantinos Vatsaklis, the coach sitting courtside, the advice given to his charge, Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos of Greece worked to perfection; listed at no.862 on the current world rankings, he caused the biggest upset of the day. He beat Hong Kong’s Ng Pak named at no.102, in a tense seven games encounter (8-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8).
“He didn’t start well but after the second game we found some keys; good footwork and a change of rhythm, at the end of the match he was positive.”Konstantinos Vatsaklis
Difficult times for Nigeria
Both the highest rated players in their respective groups there were defeats in the opening matches for Nigeria’s Segun Toriola and Olajide Omotayo.
Segun Toriola was beaten by Victor Liu of the United States (11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10), Olajide Omotayo experienced defeat at the hands of Marius Yiangou of Cyprus ((7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-1).
“First, the last three weeks I have not practised. I came here only with hope. The key was in the beginning of the match I was not comfortable, I was not self confident with my strokes but my coach made me believe that I could turn the match around. He gave me confidence and I didn’t give up. I believed that in one moment I could play my game, I could feel my strokes, I believed that I could win the match. I feel good now.” Marius Yiangou
Good start for South American champion
Crowned South American champion at the beginning of the month, Chile’s Paulina Vega made a successful start to her campaign in Budapest; however she had to adapt to the defensive skills of Moldova’s Natalia Brinza.
She lost the opening game before winning the next four, ever more confident as the match progressed (7-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5, 11-2).
Nightmare overcome
Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku made a successful start in her efforts to secure a place in the main draw. In her opening group stage contest she beat Singapore’s Wang Xin Rui in five games (14-12, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8). It appeared to be a win without any anxiety; in fact it was the quite opposite.
“When I knew I had to play on one of the show court tables I had nightmares!” Izabela Lupulesku
Disappointment for Csaba Andras
Success earlier in the day when he beat Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman (13-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6), in his second encounter for the host nation’s Csaba Andras, it was defeat. He suffered at the hands of Belgium’s Robin Devos (11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8).
“Of course I am happy for my first win but I am not sad about this loss either. I was not able to achieve victory but if we look at my game, my coach just told me that it was fantastic. He beat me with his experience. He has already attended several international competitions, while for me this is the first World Championships in which I participate.” Csaba Andras
Opening success for leading name
Laura Gasnier of France, the highest rated player on qualification stage duty, emerged successful in her opening encounter but she experienced a severe test; she needed six games to overcome a spirited Katsiaryna Baravok of Belarus (6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 14-12, 9-11, 11-4). The crucial phase of the contest being in the fourth game when trailing 8-10, eventually recovering to establish a 3-1 lead.
“I thought I’d lost the fourth game but I was able to find a rhythm to my play; play fast from the backhand close to the table and play with a lot of top spin. However, the most important factor was to fight, keep a good attitude.” Laura Gasnier
Maintaining composure
Latvia’s Sabina Musgrove, Vietnam’s Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh and Macao’s Kuok I-Cheng experienced the most severe tests as the first series of matches in the initial stage of the women’s singles event came to a close. All succeeded but all three needed the full seven games to gain the positive verdict.
Sabina Musgrove eventually overcame Trinidad and Tobago’s Catherine Spicer (5-11, 11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8), Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh beat Anna Hursey of Wales (11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 8-11, 7-11, 11-4); Macao’s Kuok I-Cheng accounted for Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi (11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7).
Ajoke Ojomu surprises herself
Present at the World Junior Championships in 2013 in Rabat and the following year in Shanghai but since that time education taking precedence; Nigeria’s Ajoke Ojomu emerged successful in her opening contest. She beat Luxembourg’s Sara Meyer on five games (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5); the win was no great surprise, except for Ajoke Ojomu.
“I cannot believe I just won my first game at the World Championships. I was a bit confused when the match started. I couldn’t understand how to return my opponent’s service as it was a bit odd playing against a player that used pimples in her forehand. After losing the first game, my coach told me how to respond; that really gave me the confidence to complete the win. It is a major boost to me personally and I dedicate this win to my mother, she has been very supportive; also to those who have always been there for me when I was not making the senior team.” Ajoke Ojomu
Successful debut for Hungarian teenager
A first appearance at a World Championships, supported by the home crowd, Csaba Andras resisted a potential recovery by Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman (13-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6) to make the best possible start in his quest to secure a main draw place.
“He played some quite unbelievable points in the fifth game; I felt I could win points playing wide to his forehand. Throughout the match I tried to stay calm and of course the support of the crowd helped.” Csaba Andras
Ghana prevails in contest of progressing African nations
Ghana’s Derek Abrefa and Celia Baah-Danso accounted for Allan Arnachellum and Caroline Ramasawny of Mauritius (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11) in a contest between two African nations making notable progress.
“It was a good feeling coming to the biggest competition in the world. I was so excited when I learnt that we will be playing on table one. I just told my partner that we should go in there and give our best. We were familiar with our opponents but we knew it was a different platform and we had to make ourselves and country proud by winning the first match for Ghana in a World Championship in recent times. We are aware that we will be facing stronger opponents as we advance but we will continue to work harder and play harder.” Derek Abrefa.
“I am very much happy featuring in my first World Championships and specially playing on the centre court where the whole world would be watching me. I am also happy that we were able to win the first match; this is awesome and I can’t wait to play the next match. It was a different feeling for me playing on table one where all the cameras are focused on you. I hope the experience I gain will be helpful to me in all the competitions I will be playing this year.” Celia Baan-Danso
Hungarians in tune
Bence Majoros and Bernadett Balint were very much in tune; a four games win being the outcome against Luka Matkovic and Belena Busatlic from Bosnia-Herzegovina (11-4, 11-13, 11-6, 11-4).
“This is my first World Championships, it is a special feeling especially playing in your hometown in front of family and friends. I am satisfied with the atmosphere and I hope to get used to the venue. The first match is always very difficult and this is a high level tournament. I hope we will keep raising our game. We are also partnering together for the first time in any competition and we never knew our capability. I believe it will continue to rise as the tournament progresses. Bence Majoros
“It was a good feeling for me playing with my partner in the first match of a big competition; we don’t know how far we can go but we will try our best in the event.” Bernadett Balint
Imposing start for Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning
Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning made a most imposing start in their quest for honours; they beat the United States combination of Nikhil Kumar and Lily Zhang in three straight games (11-5, 11-8, 11-3), The Americans asked questions in the second game standing level at 8-all but Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning secured the crucial points and never looked back.
“This was our first match here. For both pairs, more or less, we were getting used to the court and to be better prepared for the future matches. We had training together with the United States team on the first day but when we were in the match, we both were focused on ourselves and had our own tactical preparation. I think it’s pretty nice here. Overall, the light and the venue are good.” Ding Ning
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The biggest table tennis event of 2019 is under way in Budapest and this year you are in for a real treat!
That is because the exclusive studio series ‘Liebherr Live’ will be bringing you all the best insight, expert opinion and features from the sport’s star athletes, their mentors and other key personalities within the game.
Even for those viewers glued to their screens throughout the action, the Liebherr Live series will provide you with match reaction, previews for the upcoming encounters, debate on which players will light up the event, as well as a look behind the scenes in Budapest.
In short, this is just the sort of supplementary content that you’re looking for in order to round off your day in the best way possible!
The shows will be broadcast on itTV and the ITTF’s official Youtube, Twitter and Facebook accounts, starting with the premiere viewing on the evening of Tuesday 23 April at 21:30 GMT+2.
Between 24 and 28 April, there will be two shows per day for a total of 11 broadcasts throughout the event to whet your appetite for even more incredible table tennis action.
Stay tuned and, until then, remember that itTV is currently streaming the action live from 8 tables at the Hungexpo in Budapest. Click here to watch!
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Age isn’t a barrier
In some sports athletes find that aging can take its toll on performance levels but not in table tennis as proven by Aleksandar Karakasevic, 43, and Michael Maze, 37, who met in a fantastic men’s singles group stage duel on Day Two.
The Serbian and Danish stars played out a thrilling seven game encounter, featuring spectacular rallies and plenty of drama. Fighting back from 1-3 down Karakasevic emerged victorious by a 4-3 score-line (6-11, 7-11, 16-14, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-2) – clearly both players still have what it takes to compete at the top of the game.
The inspirational journey of Cecilio Correa and Jan Medina
Against the backdrop of deeply troubling scenes and financial turmoil in their home country of Venezuela, Cecilio Correa and Jan Medina defied all the odds to reach the main draw before eventually exiting to Brazil’s Eric Jouti and Gustavo Tsuboi.
Despite they’re departure the Venezuelan duo should be highly commended for their efforts: meeting all of their own costs to compete with no financial assistance available from their country’s sport ministry, Correa and Medina’s journey is simply one of inspiration. Be sure to check out the full story here.
Top seeds exiting early not necessarily a surprise
It may sound a contradictory statement, but it isn’t always the case that when the top seeded competitors suffer an early exit that the outcome is one of major surprise.
In the second round of mixed doubles action it could be argued that we witnessed such an example: seeded first for the competition, but in reality Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem were always set for an uphill challenge and ultimately the Hong Kong pair fell to the formidable Chinese partnership of Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning in straight games (11-7, 11-9, 18-16, 11-5).
England has new stars to cheer
Gaining quite a reputation as a fine athlete in the younger age categories but on Day Two Tom Jarvis, 19, took a major step in his senior career. The underdog in his preliminary round meeting with India’s Amalraj Anthony but against expectations it was Jarvis who secured the victory (11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3) and thus his place in the men’s singles main draw.
England also enjoyed a fine day in the women’s singles event as Tin-Tin Ho, 20, and Maria Tsaptsinos, 21, topped their respective groups to reach the Round of 128.
The host cities for 2021 and 2022 World Championships are…
Houston and Chengdu have been unveiled as the host cities for the 2021 and 2022 editions of the World Table Tennis Championships following a historic vote at the ITTF’s Annual General Meeting.
With the action heading to Houston, 2021 will see the World Championships take place on American soil for the first time and will also take the prestigious event outside of the European and Asian continents for the first time in 82 years! Meanwhile in 2022 China will once again welcome the world’s finest players, this time to Chengdu.
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Preview Day Three: Potential upsets on the horizon?
Published in
Table Tennis
Monday, 22 April 2019 15:56
One of the standout fixtures in amongst an action-packed programme sees two of Europe’s finest meet face-to-face in the opening round of the women’s singles draw as Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm and Romania’s Daniela Monteiro Dodean do battle on table 2 at 10.50am local time. Seeded 25th Ekholm enters the tie as favourite but rule out Monteiro Dodean at your own risk!
Another potential upset could come courtesy of Sabina Surjan, a young Serbian who continues to show great progress in her development. Looking to claim what would surely be one of the biggest victories of her career to date, can Surjan defy the odds and send no.33 seed Ni Xia Lian out at the first hurdle when the two meet at 10.50am?
Over on table 2 from 1.20pm catch an exciting men’s singles affair between rising stars from Hong Kong and Sweden as Ho Kwan Kit and Truls Moregard meet in a highly unpredictable match – If you’re one for lightning quick reactions and explosive rallies then this is a must-watch battle!
Also on table 2, 2011 bronze medallist Timo Boll will be in action at 3.00pm as the German legend launches his singles campaign against a dangerous opponent in Croatia’s Andrej Gacina while Egypt’s Omar Assar can expect a serious challenge when he takes on Portuguese star João Geraldo on table 6 at 3.50 pm.
In the second round of the women’s doubles event we have an absolute cracker of a match on the cards as two powerful partnerships clash: seeded 10th the combination of Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm and Hungary’s Georgina Pota will need to show great patience as they attempt to break down the 2015 bronze medal winning pair of Poland’s Li Qian and Li Jie of the Netherlands on table 2 at 4.40pm.
Always a joy to watch, brothers Nima Alamian and Noshad Alamiyan will be looking to build upon their impressive opening round victory but can the Iranian pair conjure up a massive upset against second seeds Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting when they take to table 7 at 5.25pm?
Be sure to watch the action unfold live with itTV and follow the live blog throughout the course of the day for all the latest from Budapest.
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Karim Abdel Gawad (right) hits back from 2-0 down to beat fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad
Dessouky downs Rodriguez as home stars shine
By MATT COLES
Former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad had to battle back from two games down to overcome fellow Egyptian Omar Mosaad in the third round of the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament taking place at the picturesque setting of Abu Tig Marina.
The 2016 World Champion started slowly, but managed to fight his way back to eventually win the match in five games.
The pair had met five times in the past on the PSA World Tour, with the former World Champion having won the last three meetings.
Mosaad came out strongly, as he aimed to put an end to that run. He took a two-game lead after 38 minutes of pulsating squash, before Gawad turned the match on its head. The ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ started the fightback in the third, winning it 11-1. He carried that on through the fourth and into the fifth game, as Mosaad seemed to tire, winning out 9-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-8 in 90 minutes.
“It is very tough against someone like Mosaad, of course. He is a very good player, and he is very tough, both physically and mentally, so it is always tough to play against him,” Gawad said after winning.
“When I was 2-0 down, I was not playing my best squash. I had to change my game plan. My fitness coach was also a mental coach today so thanks to him.
“I just wanted to play some good squash. I did not want to go back home with a 3-0 loss here in Gouna, especially as I love playing here in Gouna. The conditions were really tough, but I am really happy that I managed to get through to the next round.”
Fares Dessouky topples Miguel Rodriguez
Meanwhile, Egyptian wildcard Fares Dessouky earned his first win over a top 10 player since tearing his ACL as he prevailed in a scrappy, four-game battle with Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez over at the El Gouna Squash Complex
Dessouky, the World No.42, spent 14 months on the sidelines due to an ACL injury but has shown glimpses of getting back to his best since returning in January, reaching the final of the CCI International in his first tournament back.
He claimed a milestone win over World No.7 Rodriguez today, winning 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9. The match was a physical affair, with plenty of traffic issues on court as Rodriguez in particular got aggravated with Dessouky’s movement, but the Egyptian prevailed to earn a spot on the glass court.
“It means a lot to me, it’s my first win over a top 10 player since the injury. It was a very tough match, mentally and physically,” Dessouky said.
“I was playing my own squash, my attacking games helped me today. The court didn’t bother me a lot, but there were long rallies, so it was hard physically.”
Dessouky will play World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy, who is through to the last eight of the tournament after dispatching Mexico’s Cesar Salazar in straight games at the glass court at the marina.
The former world champion struggled to get his rhythm in the early stages, but got going to win the first, before convincingly winning both the second and third to set up a clash with Dessouky.
His younger brother, and defending champion, Marwan, is also into the quarter finals after beating Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller.
The pair had played each other four times on the PSA World Tour, with the World No.11 having won the last three, and he came out firing. Marwan had competed on the glass court in round one and, despite his second round fixture taking place on the side court, the World No.25 made no difference as he won out in three.
Nour El Sherbini overpowers Nadine Shain
In the women’s draw, World No.2 Nour El Sherbini eased her way into the last eight of the El Gouna International as she dispatched compatriot Nadine Shahin in just 17 minutes.
The pair had only played once before on the PSA World Tour, with Sherbini having beaten Shahin in three games at the Windy City Open back in 2017.
She did exactly the same here as El Sherbini put on an absolute clinic, allowing her opponent nothing on the glass court.
“I was happy on court. I felt more comfortable because the weather is so different to Saturday,” Sherbini said.
“I took advantage of having played on this court before, which she hasn’t. It is not easy on the outdoor court, so I think I was better on court and I like the court more today and I was happy with my performance.
“I will just try to take it as another match. Nouran [Gohar] always gives me a tough match and a physical one. It has been a long time since we have played, maybe a year, and it is exciting to see how it is going to go.”
Camille Serme on the attack against Tesni Evans
France’s Camille Serme moved through to the quarter-finals after a dominant performance from the World No.4 saw her down Wales’ Tesni Evans in straight games.
Serme had gotten the better of Evans in all seven of their previous PSA Tour encounters and this match went the way of the 30-year-old as she won 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 to set up a last eight meeting with England’s Sarah-Jane Perry.
Serme’s physicality saw her dominate the opening two games as she took control of the middle of the court and punished Evans every time the World No.9 left the ball short. Evans come back into the third game as she took a 6-2 lead. However, Serme was able to battle back to close out the match and set up a clash with England’s Sarah-Jane Perry in the quarter finals.
“I am pretty happy. I think I managed to find a better length, and maybe having one more match on the glass court compared to Tesni helped me a little bit,” Serme said.
“In the third, I lost my focus a bit. Tesni played better, she hit the ball harder and found a better length as well, but I lost my focus a little bit. The decision at 9-7 was a bit tricky, but I am just very happy that I came back to win in three.”
Perry overcame a spirited performance from Hong Kong No.1 Annie Au to win her third round match at El Gouna in five, despite thinking she might not play just an hour before the contest.
The World No.6 had suffered an ankle injury in her win against Rowan Elaraby two days ago, but luckily for the Englishwoman, she was able to recover in time to take to the court this afternoon.
Egyptian World No.8 Nouran Gohar was the other woman to earn her place in the quarter-finals after getting the better of compatriot Zeina Mickawy in four at the Squash Complex.
The action continues tomorrow as the quarter finals get underway. The top half of the draw will played on the glass court at Abu Tig Marina, with play starting at 18:30 local time (GMT+2).
Matches from the glass court will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe and Japan).
El Gouna International Open 2019, Abu Tig Marina, El Gouna, Egypt.
Men’s Third Round (Bottom Half):
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-8 (90m)
Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 (27m)
[WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (65m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-1 (31m)
Women’s Third Round (Bottom Half):
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [10] Tesni Evans (WAL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (37m)
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [11] Annie Au (HKG) 3-2: 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 (51m)
[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7 (36m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-1 (17m)
Men’s Quarter Finals (Top Half) Tuesday April 23:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [7] Paul Coll (NZL)
[5] Simon Rösner (GER) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Women’s Quarter Finals (Top Half) Tuesday April 23:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [5] Joelle King (NZL)
[13] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Men’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half) Wednesday April 24:
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
[WC] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
Women’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half) Wednesday April 24:
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) v [6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Pictures courtesy of PSA
Posted on April 22, 2019
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Ramy Ashour wins the World Championship in 2014
Injuries bring a sad end to Ramy’s playing days
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor
Ramy Ashour, probably the most gifted and entertaining player to ever pick up a squash racket, has announced his retirement from the professional game.
He took to social media to tell his army of fans about his decision to quit in a private post on Facebook, in which he revealed that numerous attempts to deal with troublesome injury issues had proved in vain.
At 31, he announced plans to stay in the game as a coach, mentor and promoter of a new tournament in New York in May when he will experiment with a new scoring system.
Ashour won three World Championship titles, lifted the British Open once, held the world number one ranking position for 21 months, and was rated the number two player in a PSA poll to establish the greatest player of all time.
Ashour quickly bridged the gap when he moved up from the junior game into the senior ranks.
He won his first world title at the age of 19 in 2008 in Manchester, beating fellow Egyptian Karim Darwish in the final.
He was runner-up to Amr Shabana the following year but went on to beat Mohamed ElShorbagy twice, in 2012 and 2014, the latter occasion crowning a return to action after a six-month lay-off caused by injury.
Ashour reached one more world final, finishing runner-up to Karim Abdel Gawad in Cairo in 2016.
Ashour became the first Egyptian for 47 years to win the sport’s oldest tournament – the British Open – in 2013, which came in the midst of a 49-match unbeaten run as he won nine successive PSA Tour titles.
Since making his PSA debut in 2004, Ashour has lifted 40 PSA Tour titles, reaching 59 finals, while he won 358 of his 435 matches on the PSA Tour. Ashour’s final tournament win came at the Grasshopper Cup in March 2018 as he tore through the draw without dropping a game, again beating ElShorbagy in the final.
Ashour was also voted as the second greatest male player of all time in the summer of 2018, with thousands of squash fans taking part in a poll conducted by the Professional Squash Association (PSA).
His last PSA title triumph was just over 12 months ago at the 2018 Grasshopper Cup tournament in Zurich.
POST YOUR TRIBUTE: Squash Mad readers are invited to post their own tributes to Ramy Ashour in the Comments Section below.
Pictures courtesy of Patrick Lauson and PSA
Posted on April 22, 2019
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FRANKLIN, Wis. – Fans may have to excuse Sam Mayer if he’s still basking in the glow of his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory, picked up earlier this month at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
It was so dominating a performance that it not only left Mayer beaming, and rightfully so, but he’s struggled to put it into words since then because of that fact.
Mayer swept both Friday practice sessions, qualified on the pole with a new track record and followed that up by leading every lap of the Zombie Auto 150 for a perfect weekend at the concrete half-mile.
Even two weeks removed from his incredible accomplishment, Mayer was still somewhat at a loss for words in describing his emotions.
“When you have a weekend like we did at Bristol, you have to try and appreciate it because that type of dominance doesn’t come along very often. It’s still hard to describe, but everyone at GMS Racing did their part to bring the best race car possible to the race track for me,” said Mayer. “I really didn’t have an excuse to not go out and put it in victory lane, I felt like. We were that good the entire weekend. Winning like that at a great track like Bristol really does mean a lot to me.
“It was pretty surprising, and honestly I think the momentum we have now is pretty crazy.”
During his earliest laps at the concrete half mile, Mayer wasn’t sure what his No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet would have against the rest of the field, but he found something in practice that “just stuck.”
“Early on in the weekend at Bristol, when the Xfinity Series and all the other big cars went out, the bottom (groove) wasn’t there at all,” Mayer recalled. “If you went down there, you’d get so free that you couldn’t keep the car down there and couldn’t get any drive (off the corner). Our race, though, was hammer down … and I don’t know what exactly caused it, but we needed to be right around the bottom.
“About 20 laps in, we found one area in (turns) one and two where once I got in it, my car wouldn’t leave the low groove if I tried,” he added with a laugh. “It was so good and turned so well. It couldn’t have been better for me.”
That assessment was accurate, considering that Mayer took over the K&N East championship lead by virtue of his weekend sweep at Bristol, moving to the top of the heap by three points over fellow Wisconsin native Derek Kraus.
Despite his new position at the top of the standings, however, Mayer was most proud of his commemorative sword, the traditional prize given to all Bristol winners after they conquer The Last Great Coliseum.
“I’d say the sword is one of the most unique trophies I’ve ever won. It’s at least right up there (near the top),” he said. “I have one trophy from the Shamrock Shuffle in Legend cars … and it has this weird-looking leprechaun nutcracker on it that’s pretty interesting, but that’s the only one that comes close.
“I couldn’t even take it straight home, because I had to fly back out of Bristol … and I don’t think the flight attendants would have liked me having a sword on the plane,” Mayer added. “My team had to bring it to the ARCA race at Salem the next weekend so that I could bring it back home.”
As he referenced, Mayer hasn’t slowed down much since his Bristol clinic, finishing second in a waterlogged and rain-shortened ARCA stop at Indiana’s Salem Speedway on April 14.
However, five days later – as part of his self-dubbed “Bristol victory tour” – Mayer got the opportunity to take in and throw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball game.
It was a rare chance for the teenager to slow down for a night, and he enjoyed every minute of it.
“Having the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game means a lot. The atmosphere was amazing and the game was very enjoyable,” Mayer noted. “I got pretty close to getting a strike, but it wasn’t quite perfect!
“I guess that’s why I’m a race car driver,” he laughed.
Mayer will return to action and continue his pursuit of the K&N East title on May 4 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, recognizing that both he and GMS Racing are already in a strong position for success.
“This is the kind of start we envisioned ourselves having and hoped we could put together,” he noted. “I couldn’t be happier with this group and where we’re at right now. It’s been a whole lot of fun already.”
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NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Evan Hallstrom is making the transition from late model racing to super late model competition.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to go full-time super late model racing this season,” he said. “It will be a transition from late models to super late models because supers just have different moving parts than a late model does. We actually made a couple of super late model starts last year just to get a feel for it. That will definitely help us with our transition as well.”
The Hallstrom Motorsports driver is going into his fourth year of racing, but it will be his rookie season as a super late model driver. His tentative schedule consists of 15 races with the Pro All Stars Series in addition to some of the bigger super late model races, such as the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Oxford,” Hallstrom said. “It’s one of the tracks that I felt like came naturally to me in the late model. I struggled there in the super late model, but we’re going to work really hard to improve there and get plenty of seat time in preparation for the Oxford 250.”
Hallstrom is also looking forward to returning to his home track of Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., for a couple of super late model races as well as making his debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.
“Obviously with Thunder Road being my home track I’m always excited to go back there,” he said. “It’s cool to be able to see how far I have come already with the help of my parents, sponsors and fans. It’ll be neat to be able to race in front of the hometown crowd in a super late model now.
“Loudon is another one that is circled on the schedule. The place is just bad fast and I can’t wait to get a solid lap around there at top speeds. I love the speed and I love flat tracks, which both sum up Loudon so hopefully we will find some success there too.”
Hallstrom will kick off his season on Saturday and Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway with the PASS North Super Late Models.
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