Aaron Judge is a man of his word.
The New York Yankees outfielder, while catching up with bullpen catching coach Jason Brown's father, John, on the field prior to Sunday's series finale at Dodger Stadium, told the elder Brown, "I'll hit one for you tonight," as he walked away.
A man of the people @TheJudge44 pic.twitter.com/8uDeuD3lBs
— R2C2 is UNINTERRUPTED (@R2C2) August 25, 2019
Judge delivered on that pledge in his second at-bat, crushing a 1-1 curveball from Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to deep center field in the top of the third inning.
"That's Aaron Judge, yeah, that's who he is," Jason Brown said of the Yankee star's exchange with his father, who lives in Southern California.
Judge described the encounter to ESPN after New York's 5-1 win.
"I've seen [John Brown] all over the place, and I missed seeing him when we played in Anaheim this year, so I went over there and just said hello to him and said I'd get one for him, and I was able to do that today," Judge explained. "Wind was blowing out, though, so that helped."
Asked if he has ever promised a home run to a fan before and then delivered, Judge replied, "I think once or twice, but it doesn't happen too often."
Judge later joked that he needs John Brown, whom he has known for a couple of years, to come to "every single game," calling his presence a "lucky charm."
The promised homer was Judge's 16th of the season and gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Judge also homered in the first two games against the Dodgers this weekend.
The narrative all season in the National League has essentially been the Los Angeles Dodgers and everybody else. It's hard to fight back against that statement, as the Dodgers own the largest run differential in the majors -- only the Houston Astros are close, and no NL team is within 100 runs of the Dodgers' margin.
Consider the Atlanta Braves, however, a team that might be starting to peak at the right time. The Braves went into Citi Field this weekend to face a red-hot New York Mets team that plays very well at home and had just swept the red-hot Cleveland Indians. The Braves swept the series to run their winning streak to eight games, and the three wins were each impressive in their own way:
Friday: Atlanta won 2-1 in 14 innings, outlasting Jacob deGrom as Mike Foltynewicz allowed two hits in seven innings and the bullpen tossed seven scoreless.
Saturday: After Atlanta jumped to a 4-0 lead, the Mets rallied and took the lead on Pete Alonso's three-run blast in the fifth. But the Braves rallied with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win 9-5.
Sunday: Josh Donaldson hit two home runs, and Dallas Keuchel tossed seven scoreless innings -- three double plays helped -- in another 2-1 victory.
The Braves have won or tied nine consecutive series, including winning five of six games against the Mets and taking two of three from the Dodgers, Twins, Nationals and Phillies. They've been beating good teams to maintain their six-game lead over the Nationals in the NL East -- and that's important.
The weird thing about the Braves is that while their bullpen has drawn a lot of criticism all season, they've actually exceeded their Pythagorean record: The Braves are 80-52, compared to an expected record based on run differential of 74-58. That six-win difference is the biggest positive spread in the majors. Often when a team exceeds its expected record, it is due to a super clutch bullpen that helps a team win close games. Indeed, the Braves are 25-13 in one-run games and 11-5 in extra innings, but the bullpen has generally been average over the course of the season, ranking 12th in the majors in win probability added.
The hope, of course, is that the bullpen is improving. Until the Mets scored a run off Mark Melancon in the ninth inning on Sunday, the pen had thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings. Although Melancon, Chris Martin and Shane Greene struggled initially after coming over at the trade deadline, all three have settled in and pitched better of late:
Melancon: Four saves and a win in his past five outings.
Martin: Five straight scoreless outings with just two hits allowed.
Greene: Six straight scoreless outings with three hits allowed, nine K's and no walks.
Also consider the two main holdovers:
Luke Jackson: One run in 11 innings in August with 15 K's and four walks.
Sean Newcomb: The hard-throwing lefty had a 1-2-3 eighth on Sunday, and he has a 3.16 ERA in relief.
That's five pretty good relievers, and only Jackson was in the Atlanta bullpen at the start of the season. Given that the Dodgers have their own concerns in relief -- Kenley Jansen has six blown saves and eight home runs allowed in 49⅔ innings -- one can reasonably project the Braves to have the better bullpen in the postseason. (As always, small-sample production will trump all projections.)
Another reason to like the Braves now more than two months ago is that Donaldson has quietly given them a third big bat alongside Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr. After a slow start (perhaps rusty after injury problems in 2018), Donaldson is up to 32 home runs and hitting .265/.379/.538. Since the middle of June, he is hitting .294/.409/.658. He has been bashing like an MVP candidate for more than two months now as the Braves' answer to Cody Bellinger.
Then there's Keuchel, who had his best start with the Braves on Sunday. He is 5-5 with a 3.78 ERA, and the top four of Mike Soroka, Julio Teheran, Max Fried and Keuchel gives Atlanta four above-average starters. A big reason the Braves' run differential is mediocre is because for much of the season, the back of the rotation was horrible; Foltynewicz, Kevin Gausman, Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson have a combined 6.33 ERA in 39 starts. Those guys won't be starting in October (though Foltynewicz has a chance to pitch himself back into the Braves' postseason plans).
The major takeaway: I think the Braves are better than their plus-78 run differential suggests. They'll get Dansby Swanson back soon, and Nick Markakis, Ender Inciarte, Brian McCann and Austin Riley are all on the injured list, so this win streak is a credit to the team's depth off the bench.
It's difficult to believe, but the Braves haven't won a playoff series since the 2001 NL Division Series. Since then, they've lost seven straight division series and a wild-card game. This might be the team to finally break that streak.
Nationals sweep Cubs: The other big sweep this weekend was the Nats going to Wrigley Field and winning 9-3, 7-2 and 7-5 in 11 innings on Sunday. The Cubs were 44-19 at home entering the series.
Sunday's game was fun, as Kyle Schwarber tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth off Fernando Rodney, Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel worked out of a two-on jam in the ninth, and then the Nationals finally scored twice in the 11th off Tyler Chatwood, with Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner starting the rally with a single and double.
Anthony Rendon drove in the second run of the inning with his fourth hit of the game.
Possible MVP?
"I'll make a case for him right now, yeah," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "MVP, Gold Glove. My man, Anthony Rendon."
Rendon probably has some ground to make up, but a late surge could put him in the running:
Rendon: .329/.407/.617, 29 HRs, 104 RBIs, 94 runs, 5.2/5.6 WAR
Christian Yelich: .329/.421/.678, 41 HRs, 89 RBIs, 91 runs, 6.0/6.5 WAR
Bellinger: .312/.409/.655, 42 HRs, 100 RBIs, 101 runs, 7.9/6.8 WAR
Rendon has hit .348/.444/.652 with runners in scoring position, but get this: Entering Sunday, he was hitting .408/.452/.855 with nine home runs in 76 at-bats in high-leverage situations -- the biggest, most clutch moments of games. The only thing is Yelich also has been great in the clutch. (Rendon ranks third in OPS in medium- and high-leverage moments, and Yelich ranks fourth.)
Anthony Rendon crushes a ball for a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead over the Cubs.
Anyway, Rendon is having another terrific season. Maybe he is only a strong third in the MVP race (and Braves supporters will bring up Freeman and Acuna), but don't ignore Rendon's clutch numbers the rest of the season.
Indians lose Ramirez, then lose a tough game: Jose Ramirez fractured his right hamate bone on a swing in Saturday's win over the Royals, and he will undergo surgery on Monday. The timetable to return from such a procedure varies, but Joey Gallo had a similar surgery on July 23, and he is expected to be out until mid-September. Ramirez likely will be lost for the rest of the regular season, and even if he makes a miraculous comeback, hitters often take longer to regain their power after these injuries.
It's a devastating injury for the club, as Cleveland had rediscovered its mojo in part because Ramirez had bounced back from a dreadful start. As late as June 16, his OPS remained under .600. Since then, he had hit .313/.359/.654 with a 16 home runs and 51 RBIs in 56 games. Rookie Yu-Cheng Chang, with four career plate appearances, started at third on Sunday.
In that game, the Indians tied the Royals with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Lindor homered off Ian Kennedy, and with two outs, Franmil Reyes blasted a towering, game-tying, three-run homer. It looked like Cleveland would find a miracle win and sweep the Royals, but Ryan O'Hearn homered in the top of the 10th, and the Royals won 9-8.
"There's two ways to look at it," Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters in Cleveland. "You can feel sorry for yourself, which probably doesn't end well. Or you can choose to fight back and feel like this is our time to shine. And I would choose No. 2. I'm aware that it got more difficult. We lost a great player."
The Indians have been resilient all season, fighting through injuries to the starting rotation and an 11½-game deficit in June to get back in the American League Central and wild-card races. Now, they're back to 3½ games behind the Twins, with 12 of their next 16 games on the road.
Quick weekend thoughts: Good to see Felix Hernandez put up a respectable effort in front of the Seattle fans on Saturday (two runs on two home runs in 5⅔ innings against the Blue Jays). I don't know how much he has left, but it would be nice if his final starts in a Mariners uniform aren't embarrassingly awful. ... Stunning stat of the year: Mariners catchers are hitting .302 with 35 home runs. ... Somebody who has been awful is Trevor Bauer, who gave up eight runs in three innings to the Pirates on Sunday. After yielding nine runs two starts ago, he has a 7.62 ERA with the Reds, and his season ERA is 4.34. For all the hype given Bauer's analytical approach to pitching, he has had an ERA under 4.00 just once in his career. ... One of the Twins sluggers who has flown under the radar is Miguel Sano, who has 26 home runs in 292 at-bats. The strikeout rate remains insane (35%), but he is mashing home runs and has played well enough at third base. ... It seems like we've skipped over Michael Brantley in this space this season, but he is riding an 18-game hitting streak in which he is batting .458/.519/.750. For all the attention the Yankees' DJ LeMahieu has received for his MVP-type season (non-Mike Trout division), Brantley has had the same type of season to little acclaim.
Jodie Williams and Eilish McColgan both delivered performances to remember as they stormed to victory and on to the team for Doha on day two of the Müller British Athletics Championships.
Both have experienced more than their fair share of setbacks over the past few years but on Sunday they proved that their perseverance and passion is paying off.
In the 200m, Williams did not only have to battle her rivals but also the wind as she surged off the bend and into a -4.3m/sec gale.
Her winning time was 23.06 as she pipped defending champion Beth Dobbin by 0.07, with both athletes securing their spots for the IAAF World Championships.
In a close finish, Ashleigh Nelson was third in 23.18 while Kristal Awuah was fourth in 23.36.
“It means so much,” Williams said after her win. “I was really hoping that was going to be the outcome of today and I really battled to that line and made sure that I was going to be on top of that podium and going to Doha. I couldn’t be happier.”
Williams has been very open about the struggles she has experienced since a remarkable junior career which included a five-year and 151-race winning streak.
But now based in America in Phoenix, Arizona, she feels like this season has been the start of a new chapter.
“It’s been a long road for me,” she said. “I think it has definitely been no secret that there have been ups and downs. I’ve tried to be as open as I can with everyone, just how much of a struggle it has been, both mentally and physically.
“This season has been a bit of a blessing for me. Everything has gone to plan and things really feel like they are falling into place.”
For Dobbin, there came relief that she had made the world championships team after struggling with a knee injury.
“I’m really happy to have booked my place on the plane to Doha,” said the Scottish record-holder and 2018 British champion.
“I only got back into spikes last Saturday. It has been a really stressful three weeks thinking ‘am I going to be on the start line?’ It has been a tough year.”
Like Williams, the past few years for McColgan have also been full of ups and downs and her run in Birmingham was further proof of her determination to make it on the team bound for Doha.
Breaking away early, she solo-ran her way to 5000m success, clocking 15:21.38 for a dominant win ahead of World University Games champion Jess Judd, whose strong finish saw her secure silver and the second automatic place for Doha ahead of European and Commonwealth medallist Laura Weightman – 15:35.82 to 15:36.73.
Blistering conditions at the Alexander Stadium saw the temperature reach about 30ºC during the race, with Melissa Courtney and Kate Avery among those not to finish.
“The last couple of years I’ve come in and been disappointed with my performance – I’ve come second or third and it has come down to a crazy sprint over the last 300m,” said European silver medallist McColgan. “I’m always jinxed at trials. This is the first one I’ve come into with no illnesses, no injuries.
“I’m healthy, I’m fit. I’m maybe not quite as sharp as I would like because I’ve had a big training block so the legs feel a bit sluggish but it’s the first time I’ve had a smooth build-up.
“I thought ‘this is it – run your own race, make the other girls hurt’. I wanted to make sure that I came here today and if I went off and I exploded and I came last then at least I gave it a pop, at least I tried.
“There were five girls with the qualifying time today so there could have been any two of us in that top two which makes it exciting. I’m obviously over the moon.”
The 800m also featured a strong field and the battle of the already-qualified athletes was won by European indoor champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke as she pipped 2012 European winner Lynsey Sharp – 2:02.68 to 2:02.79 – with Alexandra Bell third in 2:02.87.
Sarah McDonald out-kicked double European under-23 champion Jemma Reekie to win the 1500m title in 4:22.95 and both were delighted to also make the team for Doha.
“I feel great,” said McDonald. “It feels good to come back here, after a few years of coming up short, to win the title.”
The 400m was won by Laviai Nielsen in 52.04 from Emily Diamond with 52.39 and Zoey Clark with 52.52, while Meghan Beesley retained her 400m hurdles title in 55.81 ahead of Jessica Turner in 56.06 as the top two in both races secured their world championships places.
The first track event of the day was the women’s 5000m race walk and that was won by Bethan Davies in 21:56.45 as she finished more than two and a half minutes ahead of the rest of the field.
Click here for a day two women’s field events report, while a men’s track events report is here and a field events report is here.
Last year's US Open women's final was marred by Serena Williams' outburst at the umpire, when she called him a "liar" and "thief" after he docked her a game.
With Australian Nick Kyrgios being fined $113,000 (£93,254) for five separate incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct earlier this month, players' on-court behaviour is under the spotlight once again.
From racquet-smashing to rants, how much can you remember about some of tennis' most dramatic tantrums?
Keep your cool and try our quiz.
Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova is among the favourites to win the women's singles at the US Open, which starts in New York on Monday.
In her first BBC Sport column, the 2016 finalist talks about having a hit with the legendary John McEnroe, her hopes of finally winning a first Grand Slam, realising Beyonce was watching her play at Flushing Meadows - and which movie you should next watch at the cinema…
As part of my US Open preparations, I spent my first two days of practising in New York at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, where I also got to hit with the legend himself.
I was practising with my coach Conchita Martinez and she asked John if he wanted to hit. He looked quite tired because he had just finished his session, but said he was OK to hit for 15 to 20 minutes.
It was competitive. I played a shot about five metres out and he was running like crazy to get this ball! He is super fit for his age and he still loves tennis.
The competitive edge never disappears. He still has amazing hands - he went to the net a lot and you could see that he really feels the ball on the racquet.
He also gave me advice about coming to the net a little more often. Speaking to great champions like John and Conchi can really help me.
It is always good to have someone who has been there at the top level, somebody who has won the biggest tournaments and knows what they are talking about when we are discussing certain situations.
Winning a Grand Slam is my dream. Having reached the final in 2016, being here definitely brings back great memories and motivation and I hope to go one step further - but you have to play your best in every match.
I believe there is a chance for me to go far at every Grand Slam, but it really is a step-by-step process focusing on one match at a time and one point at a time.
I've shown I have got the game to be successful at the majors, I have had a solid year so far with steady results and three titles, and I have a coach who has experienced these moments, so I will build up on that. But the journey at a Grand Slam is long and very different to the other tournaments because you cannot lose focus over the whole two weeks.
At the US Open, I will not be taking a day off - I need to practise on the days between matches. You can't afford to take a day off where you're not thinking about tennis.
I feel great at the moment and come into this event having reached the quarter-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Of course, those two tournaments were still not as good as I was expecting, but I lost to two good players in Bianca Andreescu, who went on to win the Rogers Cup, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is always tough to beat.
I played some good matches in Toronto and Cincinnati and the goal during the North American swing is to get solid preparation for the US Open so going out in two quarter-finals is not something I am super frustrated about.
I also played the Cincinnati doubles with my twin sister, Kristyna, which was fun because we haven't played for a while and reached the semi-finals.
So I have had some nice moments since I've been in North America and I'm ready to start on Monday.
Playing at the US Open is always special for me because of the memories I have of reaching the final.
There are a number of reasons why I think I've done well here. First, the hard court is my favourite surface - I move better on it and feel more confident, and that's why I enjoy it more.
Another factor is the atmosphere at Flushing Meadows, which is very different to the other Grand Slams.
The chance to play on Arthur Ashe Stadium is always fun because it is more like a show here. It is not always only about tennis.
The atmosphere is more relaxed, there is music playing and the fans are all having fun.
Here they have celebrities appearing on the big screen, there is 'Kiss Cam' and you see people dancing on the changeovers.
I always like to look around at what's happening, because sometimes it is better to see different things rather than just thinking about tennis.
One of my favourite memories was seeing Beyonce in the crowd at one of my matches. It made me smile to know a superstar like her was in the same place as me.
A lot of players say they don't notice what is happening at the changeovers because they are really focused - but I think they do look!
Normally going to the cinema isn't something I do too regularly, but I went three times in a week recently - two days in a row in Toronto and then another day in Cincinnati.
We were far away from the downtown in Toronto and there was nothing to do, so I suggested going because there are a couple of good films out.
We saw the new Lion King, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw.
Everyone has been talking about Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and saying it is an incredible movie because it is a Quentin Tarantino film starring Leonardo di Caprio and Brad Pitt.
But I thought it was too long - about three hours - and not too interesting. So I would recommend Fast And Furious, that was the most fun and my favourite out of the three.
And, of course, I eat lots of popcorn when I go! I always have sweet caramel - and always take the biggest size. And I have a big cola…
When you go to the cinema you never think about the athlete's diet. It is a must have, so I'm not going to be super healthy there!
The presentations were made by Sarah Hanffou, the founder of Ping Sans Frontières, an organisation which uses table tennis as a vehicle for education and to make a positive change in society.
Sarah Hanffou explained:
“We are supporting Botswana because they presented a very interesting grassroots development project with two main goals; introducing table tennis in pre-schools through the building of concrete tables and use of mini tables, as well as cultivating an interest of playing table tennis at a younger stage. Also Uganda decided to bring a women’s team to the 12th African Games in Morocco, they are making huge efforts to support girls and women.
Kenya has also brought the youngest player of the tournament, Jenny Compell. We welcome her in the table tennis family and congratulate the Kenya Table Tennis Association for the efforts towards girls and women.
Countries like Eritrea, Guinea and Chad are participating in the African Games for the first time. We want to encourage them to participate in continental events and to set up table tennis programmes for girls. In Ghana, we have been supporting the NK Foundation based in Takoradi and the Asoba Foundation based in Accra. These foundations plan to introduce a competitive and educational component for children through table tennis mini cadet and the cadet league in the country. Moreover, they are specifically targeting young girls, focusing both on education and table tennis.
In Côte d’Ivoire, we have a partnership agreement since 2016. The main goal of this partnership is to support them in their development programme and especially the democratisation of table tennis for all.
We were able to make the donations thanks to our club partners in France, volunteers and to the brand Cornilleau who donated blades, rubbers and balls. Some shirts were also donated to these countries.
Concluding, Khaled El-Salhy, President of African Table Tennis Federation commended Ping Sans Frontières for their support; Fahd Daim, Secretary-General of the Kenya Table Tennis Association endorsed the views.
Chaired by Khaled El-Salhy, President of the African Table Tennis Federation with Steve Dainton, ITTF Chief Executive Officer, in attendance, a total of 18 countries were present.
Issues relating to the growth and promotion of the sport were discussed but the main highlight of the day was the selection of host nations for major continental championships in 2020.
Cameroon will stage the African Senior Championships, Madagascar will be the destination for the 2020 African Cadet and Junior Championships: Tunisia will welcome the Africa Top 16 Cup and Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.
Decisions made but the voting was close, Cameroon gained the verdict against Tunisia by just one vote; meanwhile for Tunisia the outcome was secured by three votes, Algeria being the other bidding party.
The exercise was applauded by delegates and by Steve Dainton. He stressed the procedures were in line with good governance, whilst charging the Federation to continue to raise the bar for the sport.
Likewise, it was a positive response from Dr. Alaa Meshref, ITTF Executive Vice President.
“I am so excited with the progress made in Africa in terms of good governance. The Annual General Meeting showed that good governance has taken foot in the continent. I am happy and hope that this will continue to help in entrenching good governance and democracy in the administration of table tennis in Africa.” Dr. Alaa Meshref
Lin Yun-Ju’s journey was filled with potential banana skins right from round one in Olomouc, requiring an opening round comeback to see off fellow Chinese Taipei competitor Chen Chien-An in a seven-game thriller.
Victories over in form Portuguese player Marcos Freitas and Japanese qualifier Yuki Hirano, Lin then went on to post an impressive win against German legend Timo Boll (12-10, 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8) to book his spot in the final.
At the final hurdle another German opponent stood opposite Lin, the no.4 seed Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who was chasing his first ITTF World Tour men’s singles gold in two years! Having met on three previous occasions it was Lin who led the head-to-head record 2:1 with the teenager prevailing in their most recent encounter at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open.
Following a lengthy spell away from title matches on the World Tour Ovtcharov had shown promising form heading into the final, beating China’s Xue Fei, Belarusian legend Vladimir Samsonov, fellow compatriot Patrick Franziska and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano along the way. However, Lin proved too hot to handle, overpowering the former World no.1 across five games to lift the trophy.
“I am very happy to win my first World Tour title. I played against German players Boll and Ovtcharov before so I was familiar with their playing styles. In the final, I felt comfortable because I was able to attack first. Also, my coach helped me today. He called “Time Out” when I was losing and he advised me to change tactics and my service a little bit. I think that this title won’t change my career so much — the matches will be still the same, maybe even harder.” Lin Yun-Ju
Success in Olomouc might have signalled his first ITTF World Tour men’s singles title but it’s not Lin’s first highlight moment of the year: winning men’s singles gold at the 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open in Muscat, more recently Lin shocked the world with his awe-inspiring performance in Johor Bahru, beating an all-star cast to T2 Diamond Malaysia glory – Read about his sensational 2019 journey here.
Things are certainly looking up for Lin Yun-Ju and at just the right time with the 2020 Olympic Games just under a year away. If the young Chinese Taipei star continues to impress in the remaining months leading up to Tokyo 2020, then surely he will be present with the world’s finest in the Japanese capital.
Lin Yun-Ju just keeps getting better and better! The teenage talent from Chinese Taipei celebrated his debut gold medal at an ITTF World Tour men’s singles event on Sunday 25th August, when he defeated former world no.1 Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the final (11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9) at the 2019 Czech Open in Olomouc.
Judging by how the 18-year-old star has played throughout 2019, this could well be his first of many singles successes on international table tennis’ premier event series. This year, Lin already claimed consecutive mixed doubles titles at the China and Hong Kong Opens, a triple crown (men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles titles) at the Challenge Plus Oman Open, as well as tasting individual glory at the T2 Diamond Malaysia event.
Runner-up to current world no.1 Xu Xin at the Japan Open in June, it has not taken long for Lin to bounce back and take top honours in Czech Republic, where he simply had too much quality, confidence and a characteristically cool mind for his opponents to handle.
His last two matches pitted him against two of the most experienced players on the international table tennis circuit, Ovtcharov and Timo Boll, whose combined age of 68 represents half a century more than Lin’s tender years, while the German duo also boast a total of 28 ITTF World Tour men’s singles titles.
Unfazed by the pair’s undisputed pedigree, Lin held his nerve firstly staving off what threatened to be another vintage Boll comeback to win in seven games (12-10, 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8) and then defeating Ovtcharov, who had been so impressive throughout the week in Olomouc, with a most professional performance worthy of winning the ultimate prize.
– Lin Yun-Ju
It has been an unforgettable European summer for Chen Xingtong, who followed up victory at last week’s Bulgaria Open with success in Czech Republic. The Chinese 11th seed defeated 19-year-old Miu Hirano in the most intense of finals, with the Japanese 3rd seed staging an incredible comeback from 0-3 down to take the match to a seventh game, only for Chen to complete the job and break Hirano’s heart in the process (11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 12-14, 8-11, 11-8).
– Chen Xingtong
Both finalists had entered their showdown with all guns blazing after posting 4-1 scorelines in their respective semi-finals, Hirano ousting Japanese top seed Kasumi Ishikawa before Chen accounted for compatriot Feng Yalan. Hirano had already completed a mesmerising comeback from 0-3 down to win 4-3 in her quarter-final against China’s Liu Weishan on Saturday.
At only 14 years of age, Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin broke the record as the youngest ever mixed doubles winner at an ITTF World Tour event. The prodigious talent partnered compatriot and 16-year-old Cho Daeseong for their first international title as a pair after overcoming Japanese duo Mima Ito and Jun Mizutani in Saturday’s thrilling final (6-11, 15-13, 12-10, 16-18, 12-10). The victory was especially impressive as Ito and Mizutani had proven their credentials as a top pair themselves only one week prior when they won the Bulgaria Open.
Korea Republic had plenty to celebrate in the men’s doubles too, as Cho Daeseong and Lee Sangsu registered their first ITTF World Tour victory as a pair (for Cho it was his first ever) by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju (11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6).
The women’s doubles title went the way of Chinese duo Gu Yuting and Mu Zi, who entered the action in Olomouc from the qualification rounds. They defeated Japan’s Miu Hirano and Saki Shibata 3-1 in the final (9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6).
1,060 days had passed since the last time that four different countries were represented in the men’s and women’s singles finals of an ITTF World Tour event (the 2016 Belgium Open) – an eye-catching statistic, but one which only scratches the surface about the range and diversity of nationalities to have excelled here in Olomouc.
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano was a key player this week, the 2nd seed showing a typically inspirational fighting spirit when he overcame an ankle injury to defeat Russia’s Alexander Shibaev in the quarter-final, before falling short against Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the final four (11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-13, 11-6, 9-11).
All things considered, this was a fine tournament for Germany’s star trio of Ovtcharov, Boll and Patrick Franziska. Ovtcharov was imperious until the final hurdle and swept aside Franziska 4-0 in their quarter-final clash to claim the advantage in the race to join Boll in singles competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (click here to read more).
However, Franziska had impressed in the previous round when he fought back from 3-1 down to eliminate Rio 2016 bronze medallist Jun Mizutani. Arguably the king of comebacks, Boll too produced heart-stopping entertainment by clawing his way from 3-1 down against Lee Sangsu to reach the semi-final, where he very nearly did the same against eventual winner Lin Yun-Ju.
The women’s singles also benefitted from a greater unpredictability than ever at the Czech Open. Hirano played arguably her best table tennis since winning the 2016 Women’s World Cup, while Austria’s Sofia Polcanova and Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee joined the quarter-final party.
At first glance, Olomouc – a city of just over 100,000 people – may not seem like a hive of international activity, but as far as table tennis is concerned, this event had all the ingredients necessary to excite a captive global audience and provide the latest proof of how the sport is continuing to grow in all corners of the world.
In modern times Asian nations, especially China, have been dominant, but in Olomouc, the four finalists in men’s and women’s singles flew the colours of four different flags.
There was China, represented by Chen Xingtong, playing Japan’s Miu Hirano for the women’s title. From Chinese Taipei, talented 18-year-old Lin Yun-Ju faced off with Ukrainian-born German legend Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who completed the party. A big four with four different passports was unusual enough, but layers below them quarter- and semi-finalists representing Austria, Germany and Brazil in singles and Austria, Hungary and Brazil in doubles seized their opportunities to challenge for finals. Make no mistake: the table tennis universe is expanding outward, and quickly.
Germany’s 1-2-3 punch of Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Patrick Franziska is having an effect — all three made the quarter-finals, with Ovtcharov ultimately advancing to face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju in the final. Lin, who captured his first ITTF World Tour title in Olomouc, dispatched Boll in the semi-final.
Boll and Ovtcharov are legends of the game, but the big surprise has been the emergence of 27-year-old Franziska, who took down former World no. 1 Fan Zhendong earlier this summer and has been playing some of the best table tennis of his career. He gives Germany just one more reason to be excited for the future.
The big-hitting, backflipping Hugo Calderano, the most exciting Brazilian player to grace the world stage since the great Hugo Hoyama, leads a South American team hungry for success. Fresh off his second consecutive Pan American Games title in men’s singles earlier this month, the 23-year-old from Rio de Janeiro arrived in the Czech Republic fresh and full of energy. He reached the semi-final, where he fell to Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
Good news for Brazil in doubles play stems from 35-year-old Gustavo Tsuboi and 19-year-old Bruna Takahashi, who reached the semi-finals in mixed doubles before suffering defeat at the hands of Japanese stars and eventual runners up Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito. Tsuboi and Takahashi are one more example of the veteran pairing with the promise of the future to further the nation’s aspirations.
European medallist Alexander Shibaev put on a show to reach the quarter-finals in the Cezch Republic. The 29-year-old has been something of an under the radar competitor in European competitions but made a lot of noise in Olomouc by fighting his way through China’s England’s Liam Pitchford and China’s Ma Te before ceding to Calderano in the round of eight. A sign of things to come?
He may not have made it past the round of 16, but Cristian Pletea’s takedown of top seed Tomokazu Harimoto in the first round of the main draw underscored the strength of this young Romanian and the unpredictability of even the most seemingly unshakable players. The 19-year-old’s strength is sure to serve him — and his nation — well in future tournaments.
Courageous play and a never-say-die attitude characterised the Austrian showing in Olomouc, with Sofia Polcanova leaving everything on the table in a winning battle to advance to the quarter-final over Japan’s Saki Shibata. Impressive too the play of Daniel Habesohn and Robert Gardos in men’s doubles, as well as Polcanova and Stefan Fegerl in mixed doubles, to reach the semi-finals in both categories. Austria, with room to grow, certainly has something to build on.
The four powerhouse nations of table tennis flexed their muscles in the Czech Republic, with all but Japan coming away with at least one title. The Czech Open may be remembered, among other things, as the coming out party for 16-year-old Cho Daeseong, who captured his first two ITTF World Tour wins in the same day, partnering with Shin Yubin in mixed doubles and later teaming with Lee Sangsu in men’s doubles.
Lin Yun-Ju, only 18 but the hope of Chinese Taipei, captured his first men’s singles title on the World Tour, defeating Dimitrij Ovtcharov in what history may look upon as a passing of the torch.
For Japan, there was disappointment for Harimoto, who made history with the Czech Open title in 2017, but plenty can be learned in defeat as well as victory. Japan can take solace in the performance of 19-year-old Miu Hirano, who nearly overcame a 0-3 start to challenge Chen Xingtong for the title in women’s singles, as well as runner up performances from Hirano and Shibata in women’s doubles and Mzutani and Ito in mixed doubles.
As for China, the planet’s most dominant players were absent from Olomouc, but reinforcements in the form of Chen Xingtong, who came out with her second consecutive win, and Gu Yuting and Mu Zi, who earned the women’s doubles title. The rest of the world may be catching up, but as the sun sets on Olomouc, China remains the nation to beat.
I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information. Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
