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Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor Italian Renaissance; Nicoletta Stefanova & Wenling Tan Monfardini Clinch Gold Photo By: Miki Antic Both pairs in the Women’s Doubles final at the Serbian Open in Belgrade on Sunday 22nd October 2006 formed the classic combination; both had a left hander and a right hander in the line up. For Italy it was the left handed Nicoletta Stefanova and the right handed Wenling Tan Monfardini; for Japan it was it was the left handed Ai Fujinuma and the right handed Sayaka Hirano. Nicoletta Stefanova and Wenling Tan Monfardini, the Women's Doubles champions in Belgrade All that was missing was a penhold grip player; all four young ladies adopt the shakehands grip. Better Start It was the Japanese duo who made the better start, they won the first two games both by the 11-9 margin. The rallies were brief, players made errors striving to play forehand topspins; the difference in the two teams was marginal with the Japanese pair being slightly better over the table. Fortunes Change In the third game the teams were level at 2-all, the stage at which the Japanese pair appeared to assume command. They moved ahead 6-2, then 7-3; clearly Sayaka Hirano was the team leader in the Japanese camp; she encouraged and advised Ai Fujinuma but the Italians stuck to their task and gradually played more positively. Nicoletta Stefanova in particular caused the Japanese pair problems with her heavy topspin play. The European duo levelled at 9-all, then went ahead 10-9 and secured the game when Stefanova played a searing backhand topspin across court to complete the recovery. Little To Choose In the fourth game there was little to choose between the two pairs in the early exchanges; the Italians went ahead 5-3, the Japanese responded to win the next three points but at 6-all it was parity. The player with the strongest topspin on view was Nicoletta Stefanova and her aggressive play caused the Japanese duo problems; her forehand is her strength but time and again it was her backhand that created the openings for Wenling Tan Monfardini to follow with a fast attack. Instructions Ai Fujinuma and Sayaka Hirano were clearly under instruction not to allow Stefanova to release her forehand, that did not worry her and with her backhand dictating matters the Italians won the fourth game. It was two games all and every game had been resolved 11-9! Confident Two close wins had given the Italian duo a boost, in the fifth game they went ahead 5-2 and then 6-3; now they were the more positive team and the Japanese girls were making errors. Nicoletta Stefanova and Wenling Tan Monfardini moved ahead 9-4 and then won the next two points to secure victory. From being two games to nil down they were now one away from gold. Time Out Brimful of confidence they started the sixth game in the same mode as they had finished the fifth. They went ahead 2-0 prompting the Japanese camp to call `Time Out’. Nicoletta Stefanova’s backhand was purring to perfection as she created angles and varied the topspin on her controlled attacks. The Italians moved into a 6-2 lead; then extended the advantage to 9-2, eventually winning 11-3. The Italian duo of Nicoletta Stefanova and Wenling Tan Monfardini won 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 and thus they collected their first ever ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles title.	Archive Date Title 10/22/2006 Major Titles for Japan at Serbian Open 10/22/2006 Power Prevails as Kaii Yoshida is Crowned Men’s Singles Champion in Belgrade 10/22/2006 Sayaka Hirano Crowned Women’s Singles Champion at the Serbian Open 10/22/2006 Belgrade Rejoices as Aleksandar Karakasevic partners Andrei Filimon to Victory 10/22/2006 Italian Renaissance; Nicoletta Stefanova & Wenling Tan Monfardini Clinch Gold 10/22/2006 According to Seeding in Belgrade 10/22/2006 Experience the Key, as Kostadin Lengerov Advances to the Men’s Singles Final 10/22/2006 Austrian’s Run Comes to an End as Third Seed Reaches First Ever Pro Tour Final 10/22/2006 Wenling Tan Monfardini Reverses Previous Results to Reach Final 10/22/2006 Sayaka Hirano Secures Place in Final for First Time on ITTF Pro Tour 10/21/2006 Feng Xiaoquan and Daniela Dodean Win First Titles to be Decided in Belgrade 10/21/2006 Local Hero Departs at Quarter-Final Stage 10/21/2006 Second Seed Departs and Austrian Continues his Amazing Run of Success 10/21/2006 Top Four Seeds Progress but there are Tense Moments for the Favourites 10/21/2006 Ferenc Pazsy Powers his Way to Success Over the Number Four Seed in Belgrade 10/21/2006 Austrian Scales Unexplored Heights at Serbian Open in Belgrade 10/21/2006 Hungarian Overpowers Fourth Seed 10/21/2006 Top Seeds Prevail as Sayaka Hirano Overcomes a Problem Opponent 10/21/2006 Upholding High Sporting Values: Carole Grundisch & Ana-Marija Erdelji 10/23/2006 Only_Chinese 10/20/2006 Top Seed Exits at First Hurdle 10/20/2006 A New Situation for Australian Star who Welcomes the Chance to Play in Europe 10/20/2006 Secretary for Sport and Youth Sees Serbia Flying High in the International Arena 10/20/2006 Ana-Marija Erdelji, the Heroine, Capitalises on Serbian Support in Belgrade 10/20/2006 Reasons To Celebrate as Kan Yo Ousts the Number One Seed in Serbia 10/20/2006 Fortune Smiles on Tetyana Tkachova who Proceeds to Cause a First Round Shock 10/20/2006 All Smiles as Canadian Teenager Progresses with a Display of Style and Quality 10/20/2006 Maintaining National Traditions, Ganna Gaponova, Ukraine’s Dancing Queen 10/19/2006 Russian Teenager Impresses 10/19/2006 Martina Safran Takes the Positive Approach in Belgrade and Duly Succeeds 10/19/2006 Mikhail Paykov, a Name to Note for Future, Shows his Skills at the Serbian Open 10/19/2006 Marko Jevtovic Delights the Home Supporters but it’s a Sad Ending 10/19/2006 A Professional Approach Guides Tiago Apolónia to the Main Draw 10/19/2006 Many Similarities but One Vital Difference was Apparent: Experience 10/19/2006 Only_Chinese 10/18/2006 High Numbers in Belgrade 10/18/2006 Serbian Open Attracts Large Numbers to Belgrade 10/12/2006 Only_Chinese 8/27/2006 Deadlines for entries in Serbia