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Margaryta Pesotska falls short at second attempt
No margin for error having lost out to Sweden’s Linda Bergström in the knock-out 1 final, Pesotska was well aware that nothing short of victory would do against Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut. The European appeared to hold the advantage early on, strolling into a one-game lead with little to concern her. However, that would turn out to be her sole success of the match.
Always positive at the table, no.3 seed Sawettabut found another level to her performance, moving up through the gears nicely. Striking the ball with astonishing pace Sawettabut refused to give another inch, beating Pesotska by a 4-1 score-line (4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9).
Two players who know each other well, Maria Xiao’s meeting with fellow Spaniard Galia Dvorak was always going to be a tale of mixed emotions with the victor both delighted to progress while also sympathetic toward the friendly face destined to miss out.
A roller coaster affair with incredible fast-paced rallies sprinkled throughout, it was no.16 seed Dvorak who struck first and she did so in quick fashion needing just under 13 minutes to race into a two-game lead against the no.13 seed. Dictating the tempo with her powerful forehand attack, Dvorak’s game plan looked to be working a treat, however, the tide of war was about to change!
Realising a different approach was required, Xiao was far more proactive from that point on and her fortunes took an immediate turn for the better with the next four games going in her direction to seal the win (3-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-3).
Draw & Results
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Future star shows courage but top seed proves one step too far
Claiming major scalps earlier in the tournament with mighty performances against the likes of Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and another British hopeful in Paul Drinkhall, 18-year-old Sidorenko has shown he is more than capable of competing with the world elite in the Qatari capital.
Besting Pitchford, however, proved one step too far with the top seed from Chesterfield restricting the young Russian to under five points in all but one game!
Next up for Pitchford is a semi-final play-off against Greek defender Panagiotis Gionis, who secured his spot in the final four with victory over Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu (12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 17-19, 12-10).
In contrast to his previous spell at the table where he met another defender in Slovakia’s Wang Yang, this time Gionis, seeded 10th, returned to a more familiar set up with no.16 seed Ionescu aligning himself closer to your traditional attack-minded player. Game five proved arguably the most dramatic period in the match as both players failed to capitalise on numerous opportunities, with Ionescu saving multiple match points to keep the contest alive. Another tight game followed but this time it was Gionis who fought back from behind to edge a nerve-racking affair.
One of the stars of the show in Doha, Kirill Skachkov has extended his men’s singles campaign following another eye-catching performance from the Russian no.13 seed.
Taking on Ukraine’s Kou Lei, seeded 12th, Skachkov made the perfect start to the match with a sizeable win in game one. But more pleasing for the Russian would have been the game that followed as he narrowly squeezed over the line to heap significant pressure on his opponent. No matter how he tried, Kou just couldn’t find a way back into the contest and ultimately went on to bid his farewells (11-3, 13-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5).
Florent Lambiet remains in the hunt after the no.32 seed managed to chalk up another win, with the player seeded directly above, Italy’s Niagol Stoyanov falling victim. The Belgian, who narrowly missed out on qualification with defeat in the knock-out 2 final, recovered from a slow start to defeat his Italian counterpart in six games (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 5-11, 11-8). Lambiet’s reward is a semi-final showdown with in-form Kirill Skachkov.
Draw & Results
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Suthasini Sawettabut follows Maria Xiao to reach final.
Notably it was her first-ever meeting on the international stage against the Ukrainian, a situation that was marginally different from her encounter against the defensive skills of Polina Mikhailova.
Suthasini Sawettabut had met the Russian on one prior occasion at international level, coincidentally in Qatar. They drew swords in the second round of the women’s singles event at the 2016 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open; on that occasion Suthasini Sawettabut had succeeded in seven games (10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 13-11) prior to losing to Singapore’s Feng Tianwei (9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-1, 11-4).
Susthasini Sawettabut now meets Spain’s Maria Xiao, the no.13 seed, to determine the remaining Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s singles place.
Maria Xiao reserved her place in the final courtesy of success in opposition to colleague Galia Dvorak, the no.16 seed (3-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-3). The previous day in a contest even closer than that between Suthsasini Sawettabut and Polina Mikhailova, Maria Xiao had lost by the minimal margin to Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin, the no.9 seed (14-12, 8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10).
Despite representing the same national association, it was the first time Maria Xiao and Galia Dvorak had encountered each other at international level.
The final match will be played on Wednesday 17th March.
Success but to some extent all three reservations raised the eyebrows. The no.30 seed, Lubomir Jancarik accounted for Ukraine’s Kou Lei, the no.12 seed, in four straight games (11-5, 14-12, 11-9, 11-6); not only was the 33 year old from the Czech Republic the lower-rated player, on their one previous international meeting he had experienced defeat.
Furthermore, that defeat was in Doha; in the opening round of the men’s singles event at the 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open, Kou Lei had prevailed in six games (6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 0-11, 11-6).
Defeat contrary to statistics, for Bence Majoros and Wang Yang, it was as seeding advised but not necessarily as past performances predicted.
The no.15 seed, Bence Majoros overcame Belgium’s Florent Lambiet, the no.32 seed (11-6, 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8), Wang Yang, the no.6 seed, halted the aspirations of Panagiotis Gionis of Greece, the no.10 seed (3-11, 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7).
Notably, in four meetings in world ranking events, commencing with the 2010 Hungarian Cadet Open in Tata, it was only the second time Bence Majoros had beaten Florent Lambiet; pertinently it was their most recent, the opening round of the men’s singles event at the 2017 ITTF Challenge Belgium Open in de Haan.
On that occasion Bence Majoros prevailed in straight games (12-10, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10).
A repeat, for Panagiotis Gionis it was a reversal of fortunes. On their one previous meeting on the international stage, he had beaten Wang Yang in six games in their second round men’s singles meeting at the Liebherr 2017 European Championships in Düsseldorf (6-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10, 12-10).
Defeat for Panagiotis Gionis but later there was better news. In the contests for the one remaining place, he overcame Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu, the no.16 seed (12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 17-19, 12-10).
Panagiotis Gionis now meets England’s Liam Pitchford, the top seed; he ended the hopes of Vladimir Sidorenko, the no.45 seed (11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4) after the Russian teenager had defeated Hungary’s Adam Szudi, the no.35 seed (11-7, 11-7, 14-12, 7-11, 11-4).
Meanwhile, in the opposite half of the draw Belgium’s Florent Lambiet, overcame Niagol Stoyanov, the no.31 seed (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 5-11, 11-8), Russia’s Kirill Skachkov, the no.13 seed, halted the aspirations of Kou Lei (11-3, 13-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5).
At the semi-final stage Panagiotis Gionis meets Liam Pitchford, Florent Lambiet confronts Kirill Skachkov.
The semi-finals and final will be played to a conclusion on Wednesday 17th March.
Hollie Davidson and Joy Neville to undertake referee and TMO roles at Munster-Benetton game
Scotland's Hollie Davidson will referee her first top-tier men's game on Friday as Munster host Benetton, with Joy Neville the television match official.
Davidson, 28, was scheduled to referee European Challenge Cup and Pro14 games in January in February, only for both matches to be postponed.
Neville's presence will make it the first time a top-tier men's game has had both a female referee and TMO.
Irishwoman Neville refereed her first Pro14 game in February 2018.
Davidson, who became Scotland's first female professional referee in 2017, follows in the footsteps of Neville in becoming the second woman to take charge of a Pro14 fixture.
The Scottish woman, who represented her country at under-20 level, was scheduled to referee her first men's professional game in January in the European Challenge Cup tie between Newcastle Falcons and Castres.
That game was called off following the postponement of the two rounds of European Club Rugby games scheduled for January and her scheduled Pro14 refereeing debut last month also fell by the wayside after Glasgow's game against Benetton didn't take place because of bad weather.
"It is very rewarding to see Hollie Davidson earn the right to make her debut this Friday after the disappointment of the postponement a few weeks ago," said the Pro14's elite referee manager Greg Garner.
"It is also ground-breaking for the sport that Joy has been selected as the TMO for the game.
"We have a competitive group of referees now and it is great to see younger officials pushing through looking to hold the whistle on the biggest occasions."
France v Wales: Six Nations Grand Slam foundations laid in 2020, says Jonathan Humphreys
Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys says foundations for their Grand Slam bid were laid in a disappointing 2020.
Wales won three out of 10 games in Wayne Pivac's first year in charge, but now travel to France just one game away from a Six Nations clean sweep.
Humphreys says Wales tried to highlight development was crucial in the autumn, but people would not accept that.
"We kept on saying all the way through the autumn what it was, but nobody wanted to listen," he said.
"We took the Autumn Nations Cup to be something else and said that. We couldn't have shouted it any louder, this is about building depth.
"The pressure is trying to do well in the tournament. Everything else that goes on outside is irrelevant really. We can't control that."
Wales also confirmed scrum-half Tomos Williams is fit again after a hamstring injury.
Wales finished fifth in the 2020 Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup competitions, but have transformed their form in the 2021 Six Nations with four victories, including a Triple Crown success.
"This tournament was always about winning," said Humphreys.
"We had belief coming into the Six Nations if we pick our best team available, we would be very competitive.
"On top of that, the people who had that experience of playing in the autumn have been invaluable for us and allowed us to create momentum."
Pivac and Humphreys are experiencing a Grand Slam week for the first time, but players and coaches in the set-up have been through the process before, including captain Alun Wyn Jones.
"It's huge, 25 of this squad who have won big in this tournament," said Humphreys.
"You are led by that, you are led by Al, who sets the tone very very well about this.
"There is nobody who has been through this more than he has. The characters are massive, they have been huge in terms of what they've brought to the group and experiences they've had.
"There's four or five characters in this group who are massive in driving the standards and the belief.
"When you have a team meeting and one of those stands up and says something you listen, based on the fact that they've been there, done it and experienced all that stuff. That's worth its weight in gold."
Clean bill of health
Humphreys has reported a clean bill of health with Cardiff Blues scrum-half Williams back in contention after damaging his hamstring in the opening victory over Ireland.
Ospreys lock Adam Beard is also back in contention after being rested for the 48-7 win over Italy, with Cory Hill starting in Rome.
"It's about how you want to start the game and how you want to finish it," said Humphreys.
"Both of those (Beard and Hill) have been excellent the way they've run our line-out.
"They both have certain strengths that fit. It's how you want to start the game sometimes, and how you want to finish it, and we are lucky we have that balance."
The line-out has proved one of the success stories after improving dramatically.
"In the autumn, we had four different callers, three different hookers," said Humphreys
"It was a process we wanted to go through to get to where we needed to be. Our line-out is ok, but we are still trying to get better."
France are the only other team with a chance of winning the tournament, a side Wales lost to twice in 2020.
"France are an extremely physical team, the most physical team and biggest pack we are going to play against, they are bigger than South Africa," said Humphreys.
"Collisions are going to be massive in this game. To get what we want out of this, we are going to have to be clinical, at our best and improve on anything we have done so far in this tournament."
Six Nations 2021: England's Jonny May says Scotland loss was "wake-up call"
England's opening-day Six Nations humbling by Scotland acted as a "line in the sand" and a "wake-up call", according to wing Jonny May.
The home loss followed a successful but underwhelming Autumn Nations Cup, where poor aspects of England's play were "swept under the rug."
May says England "needed to change things" and produced a much-improved performance in the win over France.
"The whole lot of us got a wake-up call against Scotland," he told BBC Sport.
May added: "I'm telling you, we got a smack. But that was the line in the sand we needed to have a good hard look at ourselves and change things.
"The response has been brilliant. We performed well against Italy and won, we performed well against Wales and lost. And then it felt like we sort of brought it all together, upped the performance and got the result against France."
May says the victory over Les Bleus was especially satisfying given the pressure England were under - both internally and externally - to get a result.
"We needed that win, it was an important win for England rugby, not just for the people in this environment, but the people watching at home as well," he admitted.
"We have been under pressure from ourselves firstly, no-one can put ourselves under more pressure than what we do.
"But we felt it externally as well. You can't help but feel it. We care a lot about what we do and there is a bit of a regret that there is a lot of people at home watching us at the moment and you want to give them something to smile about.
"Up until Saturday we hadn't done that yet."
England won nine straight matches in 2020, adding the Autumn Nations Cup to the Six Nations title, but May admits results papered over the cracks in terms of performance, with an inspired Scotland exposing those fault-lines last month.
"I'm not sure if I am speaking on behalf of everybody, but my line in the sand [after Scotland] was that our attack isn't good enough - nowhere near where it needs to be," May explained.
"Our set-piece and our defence [in 2020] was brilliant, we won games, but our attack wasn't quite right. That got swept under the rug because we were winning games.
"And then Scotland on a day where the set-piece and defence wasn't quite where it needs to be, which will happen sometimes, it really shone a light on the fact our attack wasn't there to win us the game when it should have been.
"So that hit home, and we got hold of it as players, and we've been taking step forward after step forward ever since then."
However, May says the victory over France last time out will be worthless if England are unable to back it up against Ireland in Dublin this coming Saturday.
"It's funny really because I'm nervous now, because what does that mean if we don't back it up?" he asked.
"We need to be on it this week, and we are. It is going to be a huge game and I bet Ireland are feeling exactly the same.
"They've had a similar campaign to us and they will be desperate to win this last game."
ROSWELL, N.M. — After a successful inaugural season despite the pandemic, Alien Motor Speedway is ready to kick off its sophomore season under the USRA banner. The season opens March 20 with Medieval USRA Stock Cars, modifieds, limited late mods and hobby stocks.“We are very excited to bring some much-needed entertainment and sporting events to the city of Roswell and surrounding areas,” said Alien Motor Speedway General Manager Jeremy Pipes. “The support throughout the town has been great and only gotten better over during the off-season with multiple new sponsors joining the team.
“We are looking forward to another out-of-this-world experience. Mark my words, Roswell, New Mexico, will never be the same.”
Well on its way to being the most popular destination in Roswell since the alleged UFO incident in July 1947, the track owners began construction in early 2018, and first opened gates for racing around the semi-banked 3/8-mile clay oval last year. The track is the first in 25 years to operate in Roswell, an offers state-of-the-art construction with all-new grandstands, fencing and LED lighting.
In addition to Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series national and track points awarded each Saturday night from March to October, points will be awarded in the MSD Performance Southern Region driven by MVT each race night in the USRA Modifieds, Medieval USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and Mensink Racing Products USRA Hobby Stock divisions.
USRA Limited Mods will also be on the card multiple times. Other classes on a rotating basis include Legends cars, junior cyclones, 305 sprint cars, bombers, street stock and super trucks.
Saturday’s race will be broadcast live by SPEED SPORT TV affiliate watchfye.tv.
Before you can race in the feature, you’ve got to escape the heat race! The drivers competing in the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Pro Late Model Asparagus Cup at the New Stockton 99 Speedway learned that the hard way Saturday. If you missed the race, head to SPEEDSPORT.TV to watch it on demand!
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