by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Defeat for Alexey Liventsov and Mikhail Paikov was one of two upsets as play advanced in the first round of the Men’s Doubles event; the other was disappointment for the host nation; Tomas Konecny and Tomas Polansky experienced defeat at the hands of China’s Fang Yinchi and Xue Fei (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10).
Otherwise, it was success for the higher rated pairings.
Notably, Japan’s Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura, the winners the previous week in Bulgaria and the no.2 seeds, recorded an opening round success against most worthy opponents; they beat Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn, the 2012 European champions (9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5).
Success in four games for Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura; for the combination of Germany’s Patrick Franziska and Denmark’s Jonathan Groth, the top seeds, as well as for Belgium’s Robin Devos and Cédric Nuytinck, the no.4 seeds, it was victory in straight games.
Patrick Franziska and Jonathan Groth beat Italy’s Marco Rech Daldosso and Niagol Syoyanov (11-6, 11-8, 11-8), Robin Devos and Cédric Nuytinck overcame Hungary’s Cristian Pletea and Hunor Szocs (11-7, 11-4, 11-7).
Imposing performances; it was the same from Germany’s Ruwen Filus and Ricardo Walther, the no.5 seeds, as it was from the newly formed partnership of Brazil’s Hugo Calderano and Frenchman Simon Gauzy, the no.6 seeds.
Ruwen Filus and Ricardo Walther overcame Poland’s Marek Badowski and Wang Zengyi (6-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-1); Hugo Calderano and Simon Gauzy accounted for Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic and Zsolt Peto (11-6, 12-10, 11-5).
Meanwhile, in the one remaining first round Men’s Doubles contest, the French pairing of Tristan Flore and Emmanuel Lebesson, the no.7 seeds, gained a walk-over when due to face Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Yuto Kizukuri; unfortunately, Yuto Kizukuri has an injury.
At the semi-final stage Patrick Franziska and Jonathan Groth meet Tristan Flore and Emmanuel Lebesson; Fang Yinchi and Xue Fei oppose Nima Alamian and Noshad Alamiyan; in the opposite half of the draw it is Robin Devos and Cédric Nuytinck against Hugo Calderano and Simon Gauzy, Ruwen Filus and Ricardo Walther in opposition to Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura.
The quarter-final Men’s Doubles contests are scheduled for 10.40am (local time) on Friday 25th August.
