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Is Zion enough to completely change the Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes?
CHICAGO -- For months, the New Orleans Pelicans have had only one path forward: trade superstar Anthony Davis and hope the return is good enough to navigate a successful rebuild. After landing the No. 1 overall pick and the right to draft consensus top prospect Zion Williamson, however, the Pelicans have a very valuable commodity in the NBA: options.
New president of basketball operations David Griffin has already pushed back on the notion that a Davis trade is a foregone conclusion.
"We have a long, successful history with Klutch Sports," Griffin said last month. "Rich Paul and I have spoke about Anthony. We are both excited about what we could potentially build here."
That comment was largely accompanied by shrugs. What else was Griffin supposed to say?
But then the Pelicans jumped from the seventh spot to the top of the lottery on Tuesday. Suddenly, Griffin's comment is a lot more interesting. Teams around the NBA hoping to land Davis via trade now have one 6-foot-7, 280-pound reason to wonder how available Davis might actually be as he enters the final season of his contract.
After the Pelicans cratered out of the playoff hunt and sold key players at the trade deadline, it was hard to see how Davis could stay. But Williamson's arrival should at least give Griffin a plausible argument to sell that there's something worth building in New Orleans.
Williamson and Davis complement each other perfectly. Davis' ability to step away from the basket would give Williamson room to dive as a roll man. It also opens up devastating possibilities of pick-and-roll situations with Zion and AD (good luck stopping that). Defensively, Davis' combination of size and length and Williamson's ridiculous athleticism would allow New Orleans to guard virtually any team.
Meanwhile, a triumvirate of Davis, Williamson and Jrue Holiday would be the foundation of a team that can compete in the Western Conference once again. One of the league's most underrated players, Holiday is a borderline All-NBA guard and a top perimeter defender.
If the hard sell works on Davis, not only would New Orleans celebrate that by giving AD a supermax deal on July 1, but that also would create ripple effects across the rest of the league. Teams such as the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers -- all of whom have been linked to Davis -- would have to move on in their pursuits of franchise-changing superstars. That development could alter where the NBA's many star free agents wind up this summer.
But if Davis isn't interested in staying, that isn't all bad news for the Pelicans. Griffin could turn around and trade both AD and Holiday for a treasure trove of young players and picks to use to rebuild around Williamson and his rare gifts.
One hypothetical: Davis gets traded to the Celtics for a package built around Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart, and Holiday is flipped to the Pacers for Myles Turner and more pieces. The Pelicans would then be stacked with young talent in Williamson's age range.
Over the next several weeks, we'll see how the Pelicans' future plays out. But for a franchise that since January appeared to have a bleak future, a few pingpong balls changed everything -- no matter what Anthony Davis decides.
Twins catcher Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer and tagged out the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani trying to score the tying run in the eighth inning of Minnesota's 4-3 home victory on Tuesday, but Garver suffered a left high ankle sprain on the latter play.
Garver, a breakout performer this season with a .329 batting average, took in Byron Buxton's throw and applied the tag on Ohtani, then had to be helped off the field without putting weight on his left leg. Garver's foot twisted awkwardly as Ohtani slid into his leg. The catcher was replaced the next inning by Jason Castro.
Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said the team would know more about Garver's prognosis following additional testing on Wednesday.
"Probably not in as much pain as I was expecting,'' Baldelli said. "But anything beyond that is speculation.''
Garver homered in the third inning to give Minnesota a three-run lead behind Kyle Gibson (4-1). It was Garver's ninth homer of the season, and the ball traveled to the second deck in left field.
"You can't fake what he is doing,'' Baldelli said of Garver. "He sees the ball. He makes great decisions on a pitch-to-pitch basis. He has tremendous at-bats. When you have at-bats like that and have a good, short stroke, it's a good combination -- and that's what he's working with.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. received some advice from his Baseball Hall of Fame father after hitting the first two home runs of his career. In return, the younger Guerrero plans on sending his dad a few mementos from his historic performance.
Guerrero homered twice to become the third-youngest player to hit his first two major league homers in the same game, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Francisco Giants 7-3 Tuesday night.
Guerrero, who finished with three hits and four RBIs, became the youngest in franchise history to go deep, as the Blue Jays won the opener of a six-game trip after losing five of six on a homestand in which they totaled eight runs.
"He just said like he always told me, 'Don't look for home runs. They're going to come,'" Guerrero said of his father through a translator. "I'm going to give both balls and the bat to my dad. I'm going to keep using everything that I used today, except the bat that I really want to give to my dad."
Guerrero, 20, homered in the first inning against Giants opener Nick Vincent (0-2), his first in 14 big league games. His drive to straightaway center was measured at 111.3 mph and traveled an estimated 438 feet.
"He was talking about it during batting practice, and he did it,'' Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. "We knew that was coming. He's that good. He could carry a team if he gets hot. He can do stuff like that."
Guerrero had a hard-hit single in the second, then added an even more impressive blast in the sixth off Reyes Moronta, a three-run drive estimated at 451 feet.
The crowd at Oracle Park let out a collective gasp as the ball sailed over the wall in left-center. Winning pitcher Trent Thornton even got caught up watching.
"I was on second base, and I'm just watching it go and go, and I'm like, 'Wait, I gotta run,'" Thornton said. "He had a great game. That was just a lot of fun."
The only players younger than Guerrero to hit their first two home runs in the same game were Brian McCall in 1962 (19 years, 248 days) and Manny Machado in 2012 (20 years, 35 days).
Two-sport star Danny Ainge had been the youngest Blue Jays player to homer, doing so on June 2, 1979, at 20 years, 77 days old. Guerrero is younger by 18 days.
Guerrero grounded out in his final at-bat. He entered the day batting .191 with one RBI.
"He wasn't pressing,'' Montoyo said. "He just plays and he has fun. He's an even-keeled kind of kid.''
The Guerrero family already had long ball history at Oracle Park: The elder Guerrero won the 2007 Home Run Derby at the waterfront stadium.
"This kid is going to be a great player, he really is,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "You saw the bat speed, you saw how fast the ball comes off his bat. I've seen his dad hit balls like that."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Real or not? Sale's exit costs him a shot at 20 K's
When Roger Clemens first set the record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game in 1986, he threw 138 pitches. When he did it again 10 years later, he needed 151 pitches. Kerry Wood threw 122 pitches, Randy Johnson 124 and Max Scherzer a relatively efficient 119 pitches when he fanned 20 in 2016.
How many Colorado Rockies could Chris Sale have punched out? Would he have set the record? Would he have fanned at least four batters with six outs to play?
We'll never know. Sale was magnificent on a February-like night at Fenway Park, striking out a career-high 17 batters through seven innings. He would not pitch the eighth inning. Nolan Arenado had broken up his shutout with a two-run home run in the seventh, so maybe Alex Cora saw some fatigue settling in, but Cora also saw the pitch count: 108. The 21-strikeout game remains an elusive ambition.
Sale's season high in pitches is 111. His season high last year was 116. In 2017, it was 118. Leaving him for a shot at the record would have required another 30 pitches or so, given his game average of 15.4 pitchers per inning. That kind of pitch count is unheard of in today's game -- only Mike Fiers in his no-hitter and Trevor Bauer (twice) have reached even 120 pitches this season. Last season, a starter threw 120 pitches just 12 times and only Sean Newcomb, in a no-hit bid, threw 130. It just doesn't happen.
I have no doubt Sale was strong enough to set the record. After the Arenado home run with no outs, he fanned the next three batters on 12 pitches. It certainly appeared he had enough left in the tank. Cora played it safe and probably played it smart. It's a long season, after all, and those would have been high-stress pitches. Still, when Sale didn't come out for the eighth, there was a twinge of disappointment. Maybe one more inning, Alex?
You know, for all the changes in recent years -- the shift, the advanced analytics available via Statcast data, all the home runs -- the biggest change in the game over two decades is pitch counts. In 1998, the year Wood struck out 20 batters, a starter threw 120-plus pitches 498 times. That's 10.2 percent of all games compared to 0.2 percent last season.
That doesn't mean the 21-strikeout game is impossible -- Scherzer had a shot at 21, but James McCann managed to ground out -- but the strict limits on pitch counts make it more difficult and less likely than even a few years, even with strikeouts on the rise. Scherzer threw 96 strikes out of 119 pitches (80.7 percent) and actually allowed six hits, but throwing 80 percent strikes is almost impossible. Sale was at 68.5 percent, 74 of 108 pitches. (The highest strike rate this season is Kyle Hendricks at 77.8 percent in his absurd 81-pitch shutout against the Cardinals.)
Chris Sale is the...
- 1st pitcher since Max Scherzer (May 11, 2016) to strike out 17+.
- 1st LHP with 17+ K since Johan Santana (Aug. 19, 2007).
- 1st Red Sox pitcher to do so since Pedro Martínez (May 6, 2000).
- 1st pitcher to EVER strike out 17+ in 7 or fewer IP. pic.twitter.com/IulhkL73J5
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 15, 2019
Anyway, the Rockies got the last laugh in this game: They won 5-4 in 11 innings. After Sale departed with a 3-2 lead, the Rockies scored twice in the eighth on Charlie Blackmon's home run, the Red Sox tied it, and then Mark Reynolds drove in the winning run with a two-out single. Yes, in 2019 baseball, you can strike out 24 times and still win the game.
Sale is the 42nd pitcher to strike out 17-plus in a game (since 1908, via Baseball-Reference.com). He's only the eighth to not get the win. Remarkably, four of the previous seven were Randy Johnson (plus Pedro Martinez, Steve Carlton and Bob Feller). Yes, we need to list those games:
• May 5, 2001: 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 20 SO, 124 pitches. No decision as the game went extras.
• June 30, 1999: 8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 17 SO, 134 pitches. Lost 2-0 as Ron Villone allowed one hit.
• June 24, 1997: 9 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 19 SO, 142 pitches. Lost 4-1.
• Sept. 27, 1992: 8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 18 SO, 160 pitches. No decision in 3-2 loss.
Vladdy Jr. hits one out: In his 53rd major league appearance and 48th at-bat, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally homered and fantasy owners can take a deep breath. It was a beauty, in the top of the first:
You'll never forget where you were for this one!#LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/ZeuDRgHXi2
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 15, 2019
Guerrero's slow start hasn't been via some bad luck. According to Statcast data, he had "barreled" just one of 35 balls in play prior to Tuesday's game. Twenty-one of those 35 outs had been ground balls. Pitchers have been showing him a lot of respect -- just 40 percent of the pitches he'd seen were in the strike zone -- but he hadn't done much damage against the strikes he did swing at. He'll be fine. Just lay off those breaking balls off the plate, kid.
Indeed, after I wrote that blurb, Guerrero did this in the sixth inning:
HE DID IT AGAIN! #LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/c0eZuyws8f
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 15, 2019
Astros still good, Marlins still bad: On Monday night, I wrote about the historic levels of greatness and ineptitude we've seen so far from the Houston and Miami offenses and, well, this happened on Tuesday:
• The Astros hit three home runs in an 11-4 victory over the Tigers, giving them 33 in their past 11 games. George Springer hit his 16th homer (an inside-the-park job), part of a 2-for-3, two-walk game. In his past 11 games, Springer is hitting .488/.538/1.023 with seven home runs, 15 RBIs and 18 runs. Imagine what this offense might do once we get into summer and pitching staffs get beaten down by injuries and fatigue -- plus, have you seen the pitching in the AL West this season? The last team to score 900 runs was the 2009 Yankees, who scored 915, an average of 5.65 per game. The Astros are at 5.58 runs per game.
Springer was all smiles:
What can't he do!?#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/DyB49egLq4
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2019
• The Rays blanked the Marlins 4-0 as Charlie Morton and friends spun the six-hit shutout. The Marlins are not averaging 5.58 runs per game. Avisail Garcia clubbed a 471-foot home run, the longest for the Rays in the Statcast era and ... wow, it looked even longer:
4️⃣
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 14, 2019
7️⃣
1️⃣
❗#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/fB66pYbLDu
Sell your Nationals stock: The Mets beat the Nationals 6-2 as Noah Syndergaard took a no-hitter into the sixth and pitched eight strong innings (his one mistake was Victor Robles ' two-run home run). Wilson Ramos hit a grand slam off Jeremy Hellickson in the first inning, but the key play came with one out and a runner when the Nationals failed to turn a routine double play on Robinson Cano's grounder. Shortstop Wilmer Difo's relay throw was off target -- but catchable -- and outfielder-turned-first baseman Gerardo Parra stretched and dropped the ball. Inexcusable.
"Like I've said before, we've got to play clean baseball," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said after the game in the ridiculous understatement of the season. "We really do. Got to give us a chance." Dead man talking? Probably. The Nationals are now 16-25 and, injuries or not, playing bad, sloppy baseball. This tweet from a self-described huge Nats fans sums things up:
In keeping with my efforts to be more positive, here's my positive thought for today. I'm positive that Dave Martinez needs to be fired.
— Shelia Byers (@hugenatsfan) May 14, 2019
It's time for a Mitch Garver highlight: The part-time catcher for the Twins cranked his ninth home run in a 4-3 win over the Angels and Byron Buxton preserved the lead when he threw out Shohei Ohtani at home plate in the eighth. Here's the home run, with Garver looking like he was barely swinging hard:
Saucy! ??#GarvSauce #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/yREZeaBXyP
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 15, 2019
Garver, hitting .329/.418/.747, left the game after Ohtani slid into his ankle, so let's hope he's OK. After all, he's part of the MVP catching trio for the Twins.
Brewers call up Hiura: Congrats to Keston Hiura for going 2-for-3 with a walk in his debut for the Brewers. The team's top prospect hit seventh and singled in his first at-bat:
Didn't take @Kestdaddy long to get that first @MLB hit outta the way.
Hiura you go: pic.twitter.com/7TQkcF15aO
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 14, 2019
The first of many. The interesting scenario here is what the Brewers will do once Travis Shaw returns from a little wrist injury that has been bothering him. If Hiura hits well out of the gate, do you send him back down? Shaw has struggled all season, but has back-to-back 30-homer seasons. With Hiura at second, Mike Moustakas is also back at third base instead of forced into learning second. Let's see if the kid hits, of course, but my prediction is he ends up playing more games at second base than any other Brewer the rest of the season.
Britain's Cameron Norrie was knocked out in the second round of the Italian Open following a 6-2 6-2 defeat by 13th seed Borna Coric.
Norrie, 23, was the only British male to make it through to the second round after beating Australia's John Millman.
Coric converted two of his four break points to win the opening set and broke again twice in the second to win in less than an hour in Rome.
The Croat will face Swiss Roger Federer or Portugal's Joao Sousa next.
British number one Johanna Konta takes on American seventh seed Sloane Stephens in the women's second round on Wednesday.
Italian Open: Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki withdraw with injury
Twenty three-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams plans to compete at the French Open despite withdrawing from the Italian Open with a knee injury.
The American, 37, was set to play sister Venus Williams in the second round but said she would be "concentrating on rehab" now.
"I look forward to seeing you all at the French Open and next year in Rome," she added.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also pulled out in Italy.
Wozniacki, 28, withdrew from her first-round match against American Danielle Collins because of a leg injury, having lost the first set 7-6 (7-5).
It is the second straight tournament at which the Dane has been forced to retire early on.
She trailed 3-0 against Alize Cornet in the opening round of the Madrid Open earlier this month before pulling out with a back injury.
American Collins, 25, will now play two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the second round of the Italian Open on Wednesday following Wozniacki's withdrawal.
"Obviously, I feel for Caroline, what she's going through with her injuries," said Collins.
"It's never fun to go out there and play against somebody that's hurt, and dealing with that kind of pain. I was happy with the way I played, but it's just not a fun situation."
Williams has also struggled with injury - pulling out of the Miami Open at the third-round stage in March, after a viral illness prevented her from competing in Indian Wells.
The French Open tournament kicks off on 26 May and Williams is chasing her fourth title, while Wozniacki, a former Australian Open champion, has never gone beyond the quarter-final stage.
Kyrgios serves underarm again during Italian Open victory
Unseeded Nick Kyrgios moved into the second round of the Italian Open by beating 12th seed Daniil Medvedev.
Australian Kyrgios, who produced underarm serves on a number of occasions, including the first point of the match, won 6-3 3-6 6-3 in Rome.
Medvedev received on-court treatment for a lower back injury before the second set and later smashed a racquet on the ground in frustration.
Kyrgios, who ended the match with four aces, plays Norway's Casper Ruud next.
It was not the first time Kyrgios, 24, has served underarm this season - he used similar tactics during a second-round win over Rafael Nadal at the Mexican Open in February.
Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Nadal criticised Kyrgios after that match, saying the Australian "lacks respect for the public, the rival and himself".
Kyrgios also twice served underarm during his 6-3 6-1 win over Serb Dusan Lajovic at the Miami Open in March, with former British Fed Cup captain Judy Murray saying Kyrgios was a "genius" for disrupting his opponent's game.
Federer criticises Italian Open organisers as they double ticket prices
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has criticised Italian Open organisers for doubling ticket prices after it was confirmed he would play.
Federer, 37, is playing the clay-court season for the first time since 2016.
The number three seed, who has a first-round bye and will begin his tournament against Portugal's Joao Sousa, said the decision was "disappointing".
"They made it in a way like they rewarded the fans who bought tickets earlier, which is sort of strange."
Federer added: "I just really hope it doesn't take away the fact I'm really happy to be here. There's going to be good crowds hopefully, good atmosphere."
The Swiss was beaten in the third round by Dominic Thiem on his last appearance in Rome in 2016.
Thiem saved two match points to beat Federer and progress to the Madrid Open semi-finals last week, but Federer was pleased by a strong performance and has his eyes on a second French Open title in June.
His only Roland-Garros title came a decade ago when he beat Swede Robin Soderling in straight sets.
"I think I was playing well in Madrid, so I just said, again, 'let's come to Rome, a city I like so much as well'," said Federer.
"Madrid is a tough place to play. I felt like playing maybe more sea-level conditions would be good for me. There would be excitement, more excitement than me coming to a practice court in Switzerland.
"Regardless of what happens here, I just think it's good for me to play matches at this stage."
Federer could come up against eight-time champion Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals in Rome, and Madrid Open runner-up and eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals.
Qualification day one: Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Croatia Open
Main draw places booked
Success earlier in the day, the lowest ranked players in their respective groups, the host nation’s Klara Cakol and Russia’s Ekaterina Chernyavskaya, alongside the Chinese Taipei’s duo of Tsai Yu-Chin and Huang Yi-Hua, duly completed their initial stage matches unbeaten and thus secured main draw places.
Tsai Yu-Chin concluded her itinerary by beating Audrey Zarif (11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8), Ekaterina Chernyavskaya by accounting for India’s Archana Girish Kamath (11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 7-11, 11-2). Similarly, Klara Cakol ended matters on a high note, she overcame Turkey’s Ozge Yilmaz (11-13, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5); rather differently Huang Yi-Hua gained a walk-over against Mexico’s Yadira Silva.
Needing good performance
The top name in her group, Norway’s Ilka Doval experienced a five games defeat at the hands of Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes (11-7, 8-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5) but success in four games or better in her concluding group stage contest will secure first position and a main draw reservation.
Earlier in the day Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian had overcome Nathaly Paredes in four games (9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-9).
Disappointment for Chile
Leading names in their respective groups, Chile’s Daniela Ortega and Judith Morales both experienced defeats. Daniela Ortega was beaten by Poland’s Julia Slasak (9-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-7); Judith Morales lost to Japan’s Mitsuho Kimura (11-6, 11-3, 11-8).
The door is now firmly closed for Judith Morales, having earlier lost to Croatia’s Marta Vukelic (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8). However, first place for Daniela Ortega is possible if she can beat Lithuania’s Vitalija Venckute in three straight games in the concluding group contest; earlier in the day Vitalija Venckute overcame Julia Salazk in five games (6-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5).
Positive starts for top three
Women’s Singles – Group Stage
The top three names on duty in the group qualification stage of the women’s singles event, all made successful starts.
Puerto Rico’s Melanie Diaz beat Sweden’s Caroline Tanska (15-13, 11-7, 11-2), Austria’s Karoline Mischek accounted for India’s Pooja Sahasrabudhe (11-5, 11-7, 11-5). Likewise, Aikaterini Toliou prevailed in opposition to Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yi-Chiao (11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10).
Man of the moment
The nation’s Ivor Ban was undoubtedly the player of the day. Only 16 years old, the lowest ranked player in his group, after earlier in the day beating Belgium’s Laurens Devos (11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7), he accounted for Italy’s Marco Rech Daldosso (11-7, 11-9, 2-11, 13-11).
Success and first place in the group, the only player on the first day of action to achieve the feat.
Notable names experience defeat
Chile’s Gustavo Gomez and Ukraine’s Yaroslav Zhmudenko, alongside Russia’s Vildan Gadiev, Germany’s Denis Klein and Austria’s David Serdaroglu, leading names in their respective groups, all suffered defeats in the opening contests.
Gustavo Gomez was beaten by Spain’s Javier Benitez (10-12, 13-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-5), Yaroslav Zhmudenko lost to Germany’s Benno Oehme (13-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5); Vildan Gadiev suffered at the hands of India’s Jeet Chandra (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 12-10). Similarly it was defeat for Dennis Kein when facing Chile’s Nicolas Burgos (7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8) and for David Serdaroglu when facing Giorgos Konstantinopoulos of Greece (12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6).
However, all lost to players who in their opening rounds had suffered defeated; also none lost in straight games. Thus a convincing wins in their concluding group stage matches and first place in the group can still be attained.
Successful starts for principal names
The leading names on duty in the group stage of proceedings all made successful starts to their campaigns. Japan’s Yuki Hirano beat Italy’s Gabriele Piciulin (11-2, 11-7, 11-8), Chinese Taipei’s Peng Wang-Wei accounted for Chile’s David Valenzuela (11-3, 11-4, 11-9). Similarly in straight games, Poland’s Marek Badowski overcame India’s Siddesh Pande (11-8, 11-2, 11-6).
Comfortable wins, for the fourth highest rated on initial phase duty life was more exacting; Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay needed the full five games to beat Moldova’s Andrei Putuntica, only emerging successful by the minimal two point margin in the decider (11-13, 11-4, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9).
Surprise defeats
The leading names in their respective groups, as the second series of matches progressed in the group stage of the under 21 women’s singles event, there were surprising defeat for leading names.
Turkey’s Ozge Yilmaz was beaten by Sweden’s Christina Kallberg (8-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-6), Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian lost to Slovenia’s Aleksandra Vovk (6-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5). Likewise, also from Sweden Erika Font suffered at the hands Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yu-Chin (11-7, 11-6, 11-8), India’s Sreeja Akula experienced defeat when facing Alma Roose (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 13-11) similar to Christina Kallberg and Erika Front from Sweden.
Top secure top places
Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling, Japan’s Haruna Ojio and Russia’s Anastasia Kolish all completed their initial stage under 21 women’s singles group matches without defeat and thus in top spot.
Su Pei-Ling beat Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut (12-10, 14-12, 11-5), Haruna Ojio accounted for Poland’s Julia Slazak (11-8, 11-4, 11-5); Anastasia Kolish overcame Elisavet Terpou of Greece (9-11, 11-7, 11-0, 11-5).
Ivor Ban once again shines
The host nation’s Ivor Ban, no under 21 men’s world ranking, was very much the player to shine as play progressed in the lower half of the draw in the under 21 men’s singles opening round; he beat Slovakia’s Adam Brat, the no.28 seed (11-3, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8).
In addition both Germany’s Benno Oehme and Iran’s Amin Ahmadian upset the order of merit. Benno Oehme, the no.51 seed, accounted for Romania’s Paul Mladin, the no.32 seed (6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), Amin Ahmadian, the no.40 seed, ended the hopes of Russia’s Lev Katsman, the no.29 seed (11-9, 12-10, 12-10).
Takeru Kashiwa cause major upsets
Japan’s Takeru Kashiwa caused the biggest upset in the opening round of the under 21 men’s singles event; the no.41 seed, he beat Germany’s Nils Hohmeier, the no.6 seed (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8).
Also, in top half of the draw there were surprise defeats for Moldova’s Andrei Putuntica, Austria’s Thomas Grininger and Kazakhstan’s Aidos Kenzhigukov. Andrei Putuntica, the no.12 seed, was beaten by Maciek Kolodziejczyk, the no.47 seed and also from Austria (12-10, 11-8, 11-4). Meanwhile, Thomas Grininger, the no.10 seed, lost to Russia’s Nikita Artemenko, the no.35 seed (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7), Aidos Kenzhigukov, the no.31 seed, suffered at the hands of Poland’s Maciej Kubik (11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5).
Russians upset odds
The third rated players in the respective Russia’s Liubov Tentser and Ekaterina Chernyavskaya both made impressive starts to their campaigns by beating the players listed one place higher. Liubov Tentser beat India’s Selena Selvakumar (11-8, 1-11, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10), Ekaterina Chernyavskaya accounted for Slovenia’s Aleksandra Vovk (11-8, 12-10, 11-5).
Success against the odds for Russia but there was the exact reverse situation, Ekaterina Guseva was beaten by Poland’s Kinga Stefanska (11-5, 6-11, 11-2, 11-5).
Tsai Yu-Chin once again impressive
Runner up in the under 21 women’s singles event last week in Slovenia, Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yu-Chin once again impressed; she beat Croatia’s Petra Petek in three straight games (11-6, 11-6, 11-4).
Success against the odds for the 17 year old it was the same for 34 year old colleague, Huang Yi-Hua; likewise she caused the host nation more pain, she overcame Ida Jazbec (11-7, 11-13, 11-3, 11-7). Success for Chinese Taipei, there was also disappointment; Huang Hsin lost to Moumita Das in a tension packed contest. Moumita Das recovered from a two games to nil deficit to record victory by the very narrowest of five game margins (8-11, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 12-10).
Tsai Yu-Chin, Huang Yi-Hua and Moumita Das all started the day the lowest rated in their respective groups.
Depth of talent once again underlined
The ever increasing depth of talent amongst aspiring Japanese female players was once again underlined; Honami Nakamori and Kyoka Idesawa both caused upsets in their opening contests. Honami Nakamori beat India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee (11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-4), Kyoka Idesawa accounted for Turkey’s Sibel Altinkaya (14-16, 11-6, 11-2, 11-8).
Presently on the women’s world rankings, Sutirtha Mukherjee is named at no.277, Honami Nakamori at no.545; meanwhile, Sibel Altinkaya stands at no.258, Kyoka Idesawa has no status.
Croatian quintet excels
A total of 30 groups in the initial stage, top spot plus two “Lucky Losers”, drawn at random from the second placed players, joining the 32 seeds in the main draw; there was plenty of reason for host nation celebration as play commenced in the group phase of the women’s singles event.
Andrea Pavlovic, Klara Cakol, Ivana Grgic and Marta Vukelic alongside Sara Susac, all the lowest rated players in their respective groups, caused opening match upsets.
Impressively, Andrea Pavlovic beat Konstantina Paridi of Greece (11-7, 11-5, 12-10), Klara Cakol accounted for Serbia’s Anelia Lupulesku (5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8); Ivana Grgic overcame Tanja Helle of the Netherlands (9-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8). Likewise, Marta Vukelic prevailed against Chile’s Judith Morales (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8), Sara Susic gained the verdict in opposition to Denmark’s Stefanie Christensen (11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6).
Host nation in form
The host nation’s Filip Zeljko and Ivor Ban were very much the players in form on the morning of the opening day of action in Zagreb.
Both the lowest rated in their respective groups; both upset the odds. Filip Zelkjo beat Slovenia’s Peter Hribar (11-3, 11-8, 11-4); Ivor Ban, only 16 year old, accounted for Belgium’s Laurens Devos (11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7).
Conversely, colleague Tomislav Kolarek suffered against Russia’s Ivan Nikulin (11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6), Lithuania’s Rimas Lesiv experienced defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Yuriy Nadolnyy (5-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9). Similar to Filip Zeljko and Ivor Ban, both Ivan Nikulin and Yuriy Nadolnyy commenced play as the third and lowest ranked player in their respective groups.
Early surprises
Men’s Singles: Group Stage
A total of 41 groups in the initial stage of the men’s singles event; first place in group no.1 to group no.23 gaining a direct entry to join the 32 seeds the main draw; those in group no.24 to group no.41 being required to compete in a preliminary round, there were surprises as proceedings commenced.
The lowest ranked players in their respective groups, Italy’s Gabriele Piciulin and Ukraine’s Viktor Yefimov alongside Tian Ye of the United States and Russia’s Maxim Chaplygin all caused upsets. Gabriele Piciulin beat Roman’s Bogdan Singeorzan (11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8), Viktor Yefimov accounted for Portugal’s José Pedro Francisco (11-3, 11-5, 11-3). Similarly, Tian Ye defeated Slovakia’s Tibor Spanik (17-15, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10), Maxim Chaplygin overcame Austrai’s Narayan Kapolonek (10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5).
Slovenia form maintained
Runner up last week in Slovenia, Russia’s Anastasia Kolish made the ideal start to her campaign in Zagreb. In her opening contest she accounted for the host nation’s Klara Bardac (11-2, 11-5, 11-8).
Similarly, amongst the leading names on initial phase duty there was success for Turkey’s Ozge Yilmaz; she beat Slovenia’s Lara Opeka (11-2, 11-9, 12-10). However, there were defeats for those who started the day as the leading name in their group. Sweden’s Erika Font lost to Turkey’s Ece Harac (11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9); India’s Sreeja Akula was beaten by Japan’s Kyoka Idesawa (11-7, 11-9, 11-9).
Leading names make successful start
Eight groups in the first stage of the under 21 women’s singles event, players finishing in first and second places in each advancing to join the 16 seeds in the first round, the leading names all made successful starts.
Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling beat Russia’s Anastasia Kolish (11-9, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9), Japan’s Haruna Ojio accounted for the host nation’s Andrea Pavlovic (11-4, 11-9, 11-6).
Led by Richard McAfee of the United State, it was his concluding stop on a five week itinerary in India, a schedule which overall had seen him conduct two ITTF Level Two courses, a High Performance Camp and now an ITTF/PTT Level One course, an initiative that excelled expectations.
It was the first such course in the region and proved so popular that the maximum number of 30 students was quickly reached; notably 20 applicants had to be assigned to a waiting list!
A full attendance, a total of 13 coaches were present from the local area, the rest travelling long distances from throughout southern India.
“The Alappuzha YMCA, founded in 1902, has a long history of being a leading provider of youth sports and features a full-time table tennis academy. They also provide training to hundreds of kids daily in a variety of sports.” Richard McAfee
All responded to the efforts of Richard McAfee, notably excellent facilities and outstanding hospitality being provided by the YMCA staff and the Kerala Table Tennis Association. Even more notably, after five days of intense activity, all members passed the practical examination.
“So many people went above and beyond to help in making this first ITTF course in Kerala successful that it is impossible to name them all. However, a special thank you to Dr. P. Kuriapan Varghese, President of the YMCA and N. Ganeshan, President of the Kerala TTA.” Richard McAfee
The ITTF Coaches Education Programme in India is the result of a unique collaboration starting in 2012 between the Table Tennis Federation of India and the International Table Tennis Federation in liaison with Tenvic for whom Mohan Kuman has been the project leader. A great deal of the success and growth of the ITTF programmes in India have been due to his excellent organisational skills.
“Tenvic is a company formed by Anil Kumble and Vasanth Bharadwaj, which promotes the well-being of people and ecosystems across personal and professional spheres. It fosters lasting cultural, social and economic benefits for individuals, societies in India aimed at positively impacting the lives of people through sports in schools and clubs. This year Tenvic organised five ITTF Courses and a 10 day High Performance Camp during April and May. Some 116 Coaches attended these courses with 33 athletes attending the High Performance Camp.” Richard McAfee
Success in Alappuzha, no doubt further courses will follow; no doubt Richard McAfee will return.
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