10/22/2006 SERBIAN Open

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.

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.