by Ian Marshall, Editor

Last year, the men’s singles class 9 champion, Mohamed Amine Kalem, could well draw swords with familiar opponents; Ukraine’s Lev Kats, the player the Italian beat in the final is also on duty as are both bronze medallists, Great Britain’s Joshua Stacey and Ashley Facey Thompson.

It is somewhat the same for Michela Brunelli, the women’s singles class 3 winner, Serbia’s Sanja Milatovic, the 2018 runner up, will be in action. Somewhat differently for Giada Rossi, the class 2 gold medallist, Korea Republic’s Seo Suyeon, the silver medallist a year ago, does not compete but bronze medallists, Russia’s Nadejda Pushpasheva and Argentina’s Maria Garronne will all take part.

Likewise in the men’s singles events, Great Britain’s Tom Matthews and Kim Daybell will be aiming for repeat success. Last year Tom Matthews claimed the class 1 title, Kim Daybell emerged the class 10 champion. Notably for Kim Daybell, none of the players who stood alongside on the medal podium are present; it is totally the opposite for Tom Matthews. Silver medallist, Argentina’s Fernando Eberhardt will ply his skills as will bronze medallists, the host nation’s Federico Falco and Argentina’s Guillermo Bustamente.

British players aiming for repeat success, it is the same for Ukraine. Maksym Nikolenko and Viktor Didukh both enter the action, the former in class 7, the latter in class 8. Great Britain’s Will Bayley, silver medallist in 2018 will once again provide a major challenge to the aspirations of Maksym Nikolenko, as for Viktor Didukh will colleague Ivan Mai, both last year’s runners up.

Also, Romania’s Bobi Simon returns to Lignano, the men’s singles class 5 winner; again the Great Britain duo of Paul Karabardak and David Wetherill will no doubt prove major adversaries. In 2018, they were silver and bronze medallists respectively.

Aiming for success once again, it is the same in the women’s singles events; in addition to Giada Rossi and Michela Brunelli, Germany’s Sandra Mikolaschek is again on duty. She emerged successful on class 4-5; an event in which Serbia’s Borislava Peric-Rankovic finished in runners up spot with Israel’s Caroline Tabib and Slovenia’s Andreja Dolinar being the bronze medallists. All appear on this year’s entry list.

Lignano Masters Open: Draw and Full Results