by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
In the Men’s Singles event, Heber Moscoso upset the pecking order by beating Costa Rica’s Jeison Martinez (11-8, 11-2, 11-9, 11-5) prior to securing top spot in the group courtesy of success in opposition to Panama’s Justo Altamiranda (11-5, 13-11, 11-1) and El Salvador’s Oscar Villalta (6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5).
Defeat for Jeison Martinez but wins over Oscar Villalta (1-12, 13-11, 11-6, 11-3) and Justo Altamiranda (11-1, 13-15, 12-10, 11-5) secured second place in the group and thus a passport to the main draw.
Players finishing in first and second positions in each of the seven groups in both the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events advanced to the knock-out stage.
Similarly in the Women’s Singles event, it was Costa Rica who suffered, Angie Araya experienced an unexpected defeat at the hands of Andrea Montufar; she was beaten by the very narrowest of five game margins (11-2, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 12-10).
The defeat came after she had beaten Raquel Discua of Honduras (11-1, 11-1, 11-5); a win that assured second place in the group; Andrea Montufar duly accounted for Raquel Discua (11-1, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6) to maintain her unbeaten record and thus reserved first place.
Otherwise for the leading names it was first place without defeat, the only notable name to experience problems being that of Guatemala’s Andrea Estrada; she needed the full five games to overcome Costa Rica’s Nicole Granados (9-11, 11-0, 11-6, 7-11, 11-3).
Impressively, in the Women’s Singles event, in addition to Andrea Estrada it was first place in the group stage for colleagues Mabelyn Enriquez and Lucia Cordero as it was for El Salvador’s Estefania Ramirios, Emme Arias and Wang de Ying.
Likewise without due alarm in the Men’s Singles competition, Guatemala’s Hector Gatica, Kevin Montufar and Allan Guttierez topped their groups as did El Salvador’s Julio Calderon alongside the Panamanian duo of Omer Avi-Tal and Jacobo Vahnish.
Play in Managua concludes on Sunday 17th December.
Entries
2017 Central American Games: List of Entries
2017 Central American Games: List of National Associations
Team Events
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Team & Women’s Team – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Team – Full Results (Thursday 14th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Team – Full Results (Thursday 14th December)
Men’s Singles & Women’s Singles
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Singles – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Singles – First Stage (Saturday 16th December)
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Singles – Main Draw (Saturday 16th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Singles – Seeding
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Singles – First Stage (Saturday 16th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Singles – Main Draw (Saturday 16th December)
Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles
2017 Central American Games: Men’s Doubles – Main Draw (Friday 15th December)
2017 Central American Games: Women’s Doubles – Main Draw (Friday 15th December)
2017 Central American Games: Mixed Doubles – Main Draw (Friday 15th December)