12 Nov 2017

Responding to the challenge, Great Britain’s Martin Perry and Italy’s Raimondo Alecci, alongside Sweden’s Daniel Gustafsson and Nicklas Westerberg, emerged the partnerships to upset the odds in the Men’s Team standing categories at the 2017 Spanish Para Open in Alicante on Sunday 12th November.

Both outfits beat the top seeds but to add a little spice to the occasion, those outfits included players from the mighty China.

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

In a group administered event, Martin Perry and Raimondo Alecci beat China’s Chen Chao and Huang Jiaxin by two matches to one to end the day unbeaten and at top of the order.

The only defeat for Chen Chao and Huang Jiaxin, they finished in second place, one ahead of Sweden’s Michael Azulay and Peter Molander.

Quite straight forward for Martin Perry and Raimondo Alecci, win every engagement. It was somewhat different for Daniel Gustafsson and Nicklas Westerberg. The previous day, in their very first encounter, they experienced a two-one defeat at the hands of Poland’s Pawel Konstantyn and Pawel Jablonski.

It was to prove the Swedes only reverse; pertinently, in their concluding contest they inflicted the only defeat of the competition on the top seeds, China’s Zhao Yi Qin and Han Yaije who joined forces with Hong Kong’s Wong Chi-Yin. Impressively, they recorded a two-nil victory.

The end result was that Daniel Gustafsson and Nicklas Westerberg alongside Zhao Yi Qin, Han Yaije and Wong Chi-Yin, each ended the day with two wins each; in such instances the contest between the two teams in question determines the final outcome. Thus it was first place for the Swedes.

Japan’s Koyo Iwabuchi and Germany’s Yannik, Ruddenklam, who beat Pawel Konstantyn and Pawel Jablonski by two matches to one, gained third place.

Two surprise outcomes in the Men’s Team standing categories but there were no more; China being very much in evidence.

Yan Shuo, Liao Keli and Wang Yu combined to win Class 7 beating Hong Kong’s Lee Ming Yip and Chen Siu by two matches to nil in the final. Meanwhile, in Class 8, in a group staged competition, Zhao Shuai and Ye Chao Qun finished ahead of Great Britain’s Billy Shilton and Italy’s Samuel de Chiara. Third place ended in the hands of the formation comprising Russia’s Konstantin Kislitcyn and Spain’s Ricardo Sabio.

Success as anticipated, it was the same in Class 10 for the partnership formed by Indonesia’s David Jacobs and Russia’s Pavel Lukyanov, as it was in Class 11 for Japan’s Koya Kato and Takeshi Takamori.

Notably in group organised events, both pairs finished ahead of Spanish opposition. In Class 10 Juan Bautista Perez and Jorge Cardona concluded matters in runners up spot ahead of China’s Lian Hao, Mao Shubo and Kong Weijie. In Class 11 it was second place for Eduardo Cuesta and Oscar Ponce, third position finished in the hands of Poland’s Marek Chybinski and Damian Fira.

Success on the concluding day of play meant that Wang Yu, Ye Chao Qun and David Jacobs added to the individual success enjoyed two days earlier.

2017 Spanish Para Open: Full results of individual and team competitions

Paralympics Para Table Tennis 2017 Spanish Para Open