Hao and Mu show their resilience (2011 Rotterdam)
Mixed Doubles: Round Two
China’s Hao Shuai and Mu Zi came from behind to beat Vitaly Nekhvedovich and Veronika Pavlovich in a deeply exciting match for all here at the Ahoy Stadium.
The Belarusian pairing took the lead by the third game and it looked like their Asian opponents would not be able to recover. However, the silver and bronze medallists from 2009 – Hu with Zhang Jike, Hao with Chang Chenchen – came to find their rhythm just in time to retake the match by the scruff of the neck and secure a worthy 4-3 (11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10, 12-14, 11-7) win. Will they go all the way to the finals?
Carneros and Machado eliminate German favorites (2011 Rotterdam)
Men’s Doubles: Round One
Alfredo Carneros and Carlos Machado found a clever way to find themselves on the front pages of sports dailies, as they eliminated Germany’s Christian Suss and Dimitrij Ovtcharov in a 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 7-11, 11-3) victory.
The Spaniards were in clinical shape as they forced their European compatriots into repeated errors at the table, and scoring off quick counters. Exit in the first round exit for Suss and Dima means that a bad day for Suss just got worse after he previously lost out in the first round of the men’s singles too.
Young Dvorak beats out Silbereisen (2011 Rotterdam)
Women’s Singles: Round One
Galia Dvorak from Spain has shown her mettle as she cruised past the 2010 European Championships bronze medallist Kristin Silbereisen in the first round here in Rotterdam.
The 23-year-old Dvorak is ranked 107 in the world and was thought to be punching above her weight here at the World Championships, but she has proven her doubters wrong and how. Recording a 4-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5) win over her German opponent, Dvorak never really looked off pace and she is certainly a threat in this tournament moving forwards.
Yuka progresses after epic battle (2011 Rotterdam)
Women’s Singles: Round One
The Ahoy Stadium in Rotterdam is up to witness some real crackers today, and now in the women’s side of the draw, it is no less! Joanna Parker, facing the world no. 29, Yuka Ishigaki, really made people check their heart rates!
The Japanese defender was not expecting such a battle, as the match progressed with ease of play for both athletes before the third game led to an expedite being called, with honors all but even! Ishigaki took the fourth and fifth, before Parker won the next two and the decider was upon the athletes. Winning the last game 15-13, Ishigaki looked as tired as one can be after an hour and twenty minutes of an epic World Table Tennis Championship match!
Allan eliminates Apolonia! (2011 Rotterdam)
Men’s Singles: Round One
It’s a day for thrillers here in Rotterdam it seems, as Denmark’s legendary Allan Bentsen just wowed the people here in the arena with a big upset against Tiago Apolonia.
The 42-year-old Dane, member of Austria’s European Championships winning team in 2005, took on Portuguese rising star Apolonia, the 31st seed and showed no features of being out of form. Instead, he recorded a 4-3 (11-8, 3-11, 4-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8) win, on a day when another unseeded veteran like Robert Svensson – at 36 – also defeated another younger and 28th seed, Kenta Matsudaira 4-3 (8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7)!
Jang ousts 22nd seed Suss! (2011 Rotterdam)
Men’s Singles: Round One
What an opening act we have here at the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam! Jang Song Man has shocked the crowd by seeing off Christian Suss, seeded 22nd, in a thrilling fashion.
Winning 4-3 (11-7, 12-14, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 7-11, 11-3), Jang turned the match on it’s head early on as the DPR Korea international did not let Suss sit on his initial lead. Instead, Jang pushed the German back at every opportunity, which eventually paid off!