In Zrenjanin, 14 year old Napat Thanmathikom was the player in form as proceedings came to a conclusion, he won the cadet boys’ singles title, having earlier in the week secured silver in the cadet boys’ team event alongside twin brother Tanapat.

A most creditable effort from the impressive young men from Thailand, it was the same from the inspiring young ladies from Brazil; 14 year old Giulia Takahashi and one year older, Laura Watanabe, combined to secure the cadet girls’ team title, before on the concluding day of action in the cadet girls’ singles event, each losing in turn to the eventual champion, Kazakhstan’s Sarvinoz Mirkadirova. Laura Watanabe suffered in round two, Giula Takahashi in the penultimate round.

Seeding

The task in Otocec is to build on the Zrenjanin performance. In the junior boys’ singles event, Napat Thanmathikom is the no.8 seed, in the cadet boys’ singles competition the no.2 seed, behind Brazil’s Shim Joon. Likewise alongside Tanapat, the duo occupies the no.2 cadet boys’ team seeded position behind Belgium’s Tim Giltia and Nolan Lerat, both players yet to really make an impact on the international scene.

Similarly, Giulia Takahashi and Laura Watanabe are prominent in both the junior girls’ singles and cadet girls’ singles events.

In the junior girls’ singles, Laura Watanabe is the no.3 seed, Giulia Takahashi the no.5 seed; the top seeded spot being owned by the Czech Republic’s Linda Zaderova ahead of Serbia’s Radmila Tominjak. Slovenia’s Lea Paulin is the no.4 seed. In the junior girls’ team competition, notably lining up alongside colleagues Katarzyna Strazar and Lara Opeka, the trio occupies the top seeded spot ahead of Radmila Tominjak, who joins forces with colleague Reka Bezeg and Bulgaria’s Kalina Hristova.

Also, Bruna Takahashi and Laura Watanabe are prominent in the junior girls’ doubles; they are the no.2 seeds, one place behind Reka Bezeg and Radmila Tominjak.

In the cadet girls’ singles competition, for the Brazilians, it is somewhat role reversal, Giulia Takahashi reserves the top seeded spot ahead of Poland’s Anna Brzyska and Italy’s Nicole Arlia, Laura Watanabe is the no.4 seed. Together, they are top seeds in the cadet girls’ team event as well as in the cadet girls’ doubles. Next in line in both disciplines is the partnership of Anna Brzyska and colleague, Zuzanna Pawelec.

Ivor Ban

Contenders for honours; in the junior boys’ singles event very much the name to note is that of Croatia’s Ivor Ban. The runner up earlier this year on the ITTF World Junior Circuit in the Czech Republic, he is the top seed ahead of Slovakia’s Adam Klajber and Belgium’s Degros.

Colleagues Leon Sanek and Lavro Zovko are the next in line; they join Ivor Ban in the junior boys’ team event. Together they head the list ahead of the trio comprising Brazil’s Kenzo Carmo and Shom Joon who ally with Belgium’s Nicholas Degros.

Play commences with the team events.

Leading name departs

Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the highest ranked player in the qualification stage, experienced a shock defeat in her opening contest. She was beaten by Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin in six games (12-14, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8).

Deft in the use of the combination racket, long pimples on the backhand, Yang Xiaoxin exerted her skills to full effect to nullify the fast attacking skills of her illustrious opponent.

Sense of relief

After beating Russia’s Lev Katsman earlier in the day (11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9) and thus joining colleague Tomokazu Harimoto in the contest to claim the right to be the youngest ever winner in an ITTF World Tour men’s singles event – in 2015 Tomokazu Harimoto had beaten the Czech Republic’s Tomas Polansky at the Polish Open – it was journey’s end for Japan’s 12 year old Sora Matsushima. He was beaten by Austria’s Andreas Levenko (11-9, 16-14, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9).

It was a relieved Andreas Levenko, at the end of the contest.

“I was prepared for such a situation but it’s difficult to get it out of your mind that he’s only 12 years old! It was an uncomfortable situation, I felt under pressure all the time. He had nothing to lose, he played freely, technically, he is well ahead of his years.” Andreas Levenko

Leading name falls

A short break to check the table was level; matters resolved to the contentment of both players, Frenchman Mehdi Boulossa caused the biggest upset of the day so far; he beat Denmark’s Jonathan Groth, the highest ranked player on qualification duty in seven games (14-12, 18-16, 11-7, 3-11, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8).

Success for France but there was defeat, Abdel-Kader Salifou experienced defeat at the hands of the host nation’s Anton Källberg (5-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8).

“I didn’t play to well in the beginning of the game and was behind. I became more aggressive and that helped. My service and service returns became better the longer the match continued; that was key for the victory. I hadn’t played Salifou before but I know he is a good player.” Anton Källberg

Enhancing chances

Several steps still to go but presently listed at no.16 (225 points) on the ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles Standings; China’s Sun Wen did his chances of qualification no harm whatsoever; he beat Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej in straight games (11-6, 11-5, 11-3, 14-12).

“Today my performance on court to move the opponent was not too bad. I was fast on court and prepared well for the match, analysing my opponent’s game play well. During the match, I was able to play my own strokes well and move the opponent well, probably my opponent was not too used to my playing style in the beginning, so I was able to take those games more easily. Towards the later part of the match, it was a close fight. Pistej has some variety to his playing style and has some shots that are quite tricky to receive. Sometimes I was not able to get used to his shots, I just had to defend and adapt.” Sun Wen

Only when ready

Absent from the international scene for a year, Frenchman Alexandre Cassin returned in style. In the opening round he beat Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho (11-6, 11-3, 5-11, 12-10, 11-6), before causing one of the biggest upsets of the day. He ended the hopes of India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (11-6, 11-3, 5-11, 12-10, 11-6).

“It’s the first time at an ITTF World Tour tournament for one year; so difficult to feel the ball. I beat Kwan Man Ho earlier today so I had one match to my credit. I spoke with Hua Huorn, my Chinese coach and decided the tactics; I had to be fast with my legs, receive well with my forehand and be the first to attack. My coach stressed I must fight, not give anything away! I stuck to the tactics. I’ve not played for a year because of Chinese advice, make sure you have a good technique, you know French players are not so good in that aspect; then play when ready. Hua Huorn has coached players like Wang Hao, all French players respect him most highly.” Alexandre Cassin

Shocks aplenty

As is often common on the ITTF World Tour surprise exits are aplenty in Stockholm, a case especially seen in the 12.00pm session which saw China’s Qian Tianyi stun 2018 European champion Li Qian by a 4-2 margin (11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 13-11, 13-11).

The leading Slovak in the women’s game, Barbora Balazova is out of the running following a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Norway’s Ma Wenting (6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3, 12-10). Debora Vivarelli was another name to fall in the round with the Italian player losing out to Bulgaria’s Maria Yovkova (9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9).

Li Jie reacts

A tight contest with Spain’s Ana Garcia (11-7, 2-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-4), Li Jie of the Netherlands admitted after the match that she struggled to keep up with her young opponent at times:

“Ana played a very good game against me. She is very good playing against defensive players. I was behind and had some problems with her smashes and the tempo of the ball, her playing style was very difficult. I turned the game around by fighting hard and putting the ball on the table all the time and after a while I found the right tempo and distance to the ball.” Li Jie

Lin Ye eliminated at first hurdle

We’ve just witnessed somewhat of a shock in the 11.10am session of play with Singapore’s Lin Ye departing the women’s singles race in preliminary round one!

Having met earlier this year at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Australian Open, Austria’s Yui Hamamoto, formerly of Japan, won 4-2 on that occasion. In Stockholm it was the same outcome as Hamamoto was simply too quick for her opponent, especially from the backhand (11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8).

Full distance thriller!

Trailing 1-3 in the deciding seventh game in his opening round encounter with the host nation’s Hampus Soderlund, Romanian teenager Rares Sipos managed to stage a comeback. Staying close to the net, Sipos took the more positive approach of the two players, winning 11 of the next 13 points to extend his stay in the competition (5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-5).

“Hampus is a very good player but I came well prepared and it was a good match. He is a fighter and never gives up. He was leading 3-1 in the last game but I managed to go 9-3 up and just keep on focusing. I was concentrated all the way when I was 10-4 because he is a fighter and never gave away a point for free.” Rares Sipos

Early departure for Brazilian star

Finalist at last month’s 2019 ITTF-Pan American Championships but Bruna Takahashi has fallen at the first qualification hurdle in Stockholm with the Brazilian losing out to China’s Liu Fei in straight games (11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3).

There were two further victories for China to celebrate as Gu Yuting and Liu Weishan got the better of Turkey’s Sibel Altinkaya (11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 11-3) and Switzerland’s Rachel Moret (11-6, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7) respectively.

Salifou off to winning start

Taking to the table in the opening session of play Abdel-Kader Salifou was one of two Frenchmen to beat opposition from the host nation, holding off a brave fight from Fabian Akerstrom (11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8) while Andrea Landrieu came out on top against Per Sandstrom across six games (12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-3).

“Playing Fabien you never know what is going to happen. I knew it would be a difficult match. I went ahead 2-1 but then in the third game I was down 2-7; winning that game made the difference. Fabien is experienced, he’s one year older than me. Several years in my home town of Reims, I practiced with Quentin Cezard, a local player; he played the same, long pimples, so I knew what to do. Today patience was vital, it was a good match for me to win.” Abdel-Kader Salifour

However, Sweden held the upper hand in one head-to-head meeting with France as Viktor Brodd outclassed Jules Rolland 4-1 (11-4, 11-3, 2-11, 11-5, 11-9).

Qualification underway

Here we go! It’s time for qualification action in Stockholm – here’s a look at the day’s schedule:

Proceedings commenced at 11.00 am, eventually concluding at 7.00 pm; a whole range of activities grabbed the attention. Notably at 2.00 pm there was an official reception for 60 VIP guests, followed at 3.30 pm by a procession through the city centre; at 6.30 pm the day concluded with a civic reception at the Sporthalle Brūderstrasse.

Notably present on behalf of the International Table Tennis Federation were: Thomas Weikert (ITTF President and ITTF Foundation President), Raul Calin (ITTF Secretary-General), Petra Sörling (ITTF Vice President and ITTF Foundation Board of Trustees President) and Nestor Tenca (ITTF Vice President and ITTF Foundation Trustee) alongside Polona Cehovin (High Performance Director).

“One of the reasons the ITTF Foundation is in Leipzig is that the city is very open to the world, as the most developing city in Germany, it acts as an intercultural hub. We have outstanding support from the city council and continued good relations with the University of Leipzig.” Thomas Weikert

“It was a great sport and cultural experience that showcases the relation between the city of Leipzig and the ITTF Foundation. I covered 10,370 steps today! Even some rain in the afternoon and strong wind couldn’t prevent people from playing table tennis and showed that the Foundation goes forward, beyond any obstacles that might appear in the way.” Petra Sörling

“The creation of the ITTF Foundation is the natural consequence in the evolution of the International Table Tennis Federation’s work in the area of social responsibility. Being an International Federation with global presence, the ITTF not only aims to increase the level of table tennis in every corner of the planet but also to use table tennis as a vehicle for social cohesion and awareness, ensuring the word Solidarity is always present in our daily activities.” Raul Calin

Likewise there was strong representation from the host nation. The German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB) was represented by Michael Geiger (President), Matthias Vatheuer (General Secretary), Heike Ahlert (Vice President and ITTF Junior Commissioner) and Arne Klindt; the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) by Katrin Grafarend (Head of International Relations). Significantly, a medium sized table tennis table branded with the logos of the DTTB and ITTF Foundation was presented by Matthias Vatheuer.

Also the city of Leipzig was represented; Heiko Rosenthal, the Sports Mayor was present and clearly delighted with the occasion.

“I’m pleased about the decision to have the ITTF Foundation locates in Leipzig. The ITTF strengthens our profile as a sports city and contributes to the strong tradition.” Heiko Rosenthal

Notable guests and there were more, Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport and Iris Vlachoutsicos, International Relations & Sports Diplomacy Director attended as did Wolfang Baumann, the Secretary General and Board Member of the Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA). He expressed the view shared by all to work closely with the ITTF Foundation, an opinion that was also shared by Ahmed Latheef, Maldives Ambassador to Germany.

“The ITTF Foundation establishment demonstrates the way in which the ITTF looks at table tennis and the world, to setup dialogue that can create better social cohesion. The ITTF is a leader of gender equity and you understand that sport is much more than sport.” Joël Bouzou

Promoting the event, four role models in the guise of Norway’s Aida Dahlen, Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm and Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou from the world of table tennis attended, alongside Germany’s Jens Greve, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yuvedo, an organisation that promotes the benefits of table tennis for Parkinson’s therapy. Sarah Hanffou is the ITTF Foundation Ambassador.

“To be an Ambassador means a lot to me because of what the ITTF Foundation is doing; making a difference and changing lives. You have a huge impact and I’m thankful for the opportunity to work together in advancing social change.” Sarah Hanffou

Made possible by the many volunteers from local table tennis clubs, it proved a busy day in Leipzig, an open air market plus the presence of thousands of football fans gave many the chance to watch table tennis on display. Even rain and strong winds did not prove a deterrent; the appearance of a marching band play “Dixieland” music with its rolling table tennis table (TT2Go) added to the occasion. Simply, the importance of sport in society and the role of the ITTF Foundation was endorsed.

It was a wonderful day where we shared our happiness of having our home for the Foundation in Leipzig. We shared the passion for table tennis bringing it to people on the streets, mixing it with culture and the arts, together in the right environment in safe spaces that brought the people together. As a legacy of this event the Foundation donated a permanent table in a local park; accessible for everyone to play.

I would like to thank all distinguished visitors mentioned as well as all staff and volunteers who worked during the event behind the scenes, specially Wiebke Scheffler and Julia Tappendorf for the heavy logistics, Leutzscher Füchse, ITK Universität Leipzig, MoGoNO, HTWK and Roter Stern Leipzig for the local support and last but not least Steve Dainton, ITTF Chief Executive, for supporting this project from the very beginning.

A day to remember, inauguration day in Leipzig a landmark.