by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The Swedish pair made the best possible start by recording a doubles success (11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 5-11, 11-3), before Daniel Gustafsson sealed the victory by overcoming Ismo Lallo (10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-2).

In the same group, Mexico’s Miguel Vazquez Can and Angel Castro experienced a two matches to one defeat at the hands of Wong Chi Yin and Lam Kai Wai; having the previous day suffered a two-nil reverse when facing Esa Miettinen and Ismo Lallo.

“We won the first two games of the doubles quite easily but lost the next two. In the deciding game, we were able to play freely and finally won the match.  In my singles, I lost the first game as I was a little nervous. I think I played well in the next three games. We will play Mexico in the final round of the group stage tomorrow, and I am pretty confident of our chances.”  David Gustafsson.

Victory against Finland means that the Swedes are the only unbeaten team in the group; in reality second place rests on the contest between Finland and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, in the corresponding group, first place is confirmed. The Japanese partnership of Koyo Iwabuchi and Nobuyuki Suzuki completed their first stage itinerary by posting a two-nil win against Kazakhstan’s Talgat Erekeyev and Nurzhan Korpetayev. The previous day, they had secured the same margin of victory when facing Germany’s Christian Kalb and Yannik Ruddenklau.

Second place and thus progress to the semi-final stage rests on the outcome of the contest between Germany and Kazakhstan.

2017 World Para Team Championships: Draw and Latest Results