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Gold for Britain at Euro Masters

Published in Athletics

Friday, 06 September 2019 01:07

Evaun Williams and Iris Holder win titles on day one of the European Masters Championships in Venice

Evaun Williams is expected to dominate all the W80 throws and she got off to an excellent start on the first day of the European Masters Championships on the outskirts of Venice to win Britain’s first gold medal, while Iris Holder won gold and Netherlands’ Rietje Dijkman set a world record.

It was generally a quiet day with no track finals and the opening ceremony breaking up the action but Britain got off to an encouraging start in hot conditions in Jesolo with the temperatures well into the 30s.

The multiple world champion and world record-holder Williams won the shot put by nearly two metres with 9.53m. The worst of her six throws was 9.14m and the runner-up Ewa Frackowiak of Poland threw just 7.67m.

The other British victory came from W75 triple jumper Holder, whose win was convincing in a different manner. Helgard Houben of Germany opened with 6.33m to Holder’s 6.26m but the Briton achieved her winning effort in round two with 6.42m.

Her third (6.39m), fifth (6.40m) and sixth (6.34m) were also marginally in excess of the German’s best mark and it was probably the 78-year-old’s best result since winning the World W70 title in Finland in 2012.

Just missing out on gold for Britain was Lucy Marshall in the W35 hammer. Marshall took the lead with a 60.25m throw in round two but Vania Sofia Sousa Silva of Portugal snatched gold off her by just two centimetres with a 60.27m fourth round throw.

Marshall, who set a 63.47m PB at Loughborough last month and ranks fifth nationally as a senior, was competing in her first masters international event.

Steve Linsell has been winning major masters high jump medals for over a decade and he matched his M50 silver from Aarhus in 2017 with a M55 second place with a 1.70m leap as Germany’s Ruediger Weber won with 1.76m.

In the W80 triple jump Netherlands’ Rietje Dijkman added a centimetre to the world record with a 7.37m leap.

Keith Newton won a M50 triple jump bronze with 12.48m as Italy’s Michele Tiko took gold with 12.67m.

In the 100m heats, Britain’s M35 Jonathan Browne (10.85), M80 Anthony Treacher (15.80) and W65 Caroline Powell (14.91) qualified fastest for the final while M60 John Wright (12.52) was easily fastest in the heats.

In the 1500m heats, M35 Mike Cummings (4:10.43), M40 Matt Barnes (4:15.93), M50 Mark Symes (4:26.14) and M55 Guy Bracken (4:38.46) plus M60 John Thomson (4:51.36) all produced the fastest times to qualify for Saturday’s finals.

Surprisingly Finland, with seven golds, top the medal table on day one and these included golds for Senni Sopanen in the W90 triple jump and shot.

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Mo Farah in awe of Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon attempt

Published in Athletics

Friday, 06 September 2019 08:05

Ahead of Sunday’s Simplyhealth Great North Run, Farah describes Kipchoge’s target as mind blowing

It is a measure of the size of the task facing Eliud Kipchoge in Vienna next month when an athlete of Mo Farah’s stature describes the Kenyan’s quest for a sub-two-hour marathon as “mind blowing”.

Farah is aiming to win his sixth Simplyhealth Great North Run title on the trot on Sunday and his second consecutive Chicago Marathon crown next month. The 36-year-old has also won 10 global track titles during his phenomenal career. Yet he struggles to get his head around Kichoge’s sub-two-hour target for 26.2 miles.

“It’s 17 seconds per 100 metres for the whole way,” says Farah. “People talk about sub-two hours without even thinking about it properly but when you break it down into what pace is needed it’s incredible.”

Farah jokes that the pace per 100 metres is close to his own PB for that distance. Or, to put it another way, a sub-two-hour marathon equates to 34 seconds per 200m, 68 seconds for each 400m, 2:50 per kilometre or 4:34 per mile.

Kipchoge is due to attack the barrier from October 12-20 and Farah’s Chicago Marathon title defence is October 13. “If I can, I’ll watch it,” he says. “I’d like to see what’ll happen and if it’s possible!”

Sportingly, Farah accepts Kipchoge is in a league of his own right now in the marathon. But his Chicago victory in 2018 – in a European record of 2:05:11 – marked him out as one of the best of the rest, although the Briton believes he needs to nudge his PB down to 2:03-2:04 to be considered Kipchoge’s biggest rival.

If he can hit his rivals for six by adding to his haul of victories in the Great North Run on Sunday, he then has five weeks to fine-tune his preparations ahead of his Chicago defence.

What kind of shape is he in? “We’ll find out Sunday!” he teases, before adding more seriously: “I think it’s okay. Without actually racing it’s difficult to tell what I can do but training has gone well and I feel strong.

“I always enjoy the Great North Run and it fits nicely. Compared to last year it gives me an extra week of training this time, which is good.”

Farah was in relaxed mood speaking to the media at the St Mary’s Heritage Centre in Gateshead on Friday (pictured below with young athletes from Gateshead Harriers). As he took his pew in the former parish church on the banks of the River Tyne, he was laid back and full of jokes.

When talk turns to the marathon, though, he is more serious and admits he would probably have retired at the end of 2017 if it wasn’t for a burning desire to crack the mystery of the 26.2-mile distance.

Farah conquered the track with an unprecedented streak of world and Olympic titles at 5000m and 10,000m from 2011 onwards. But the marathon is proving trickier to tame.

“On the track I’d achieved so much with world and Olympic titles and when you’ve done that, on the track, you no longer quite get the same drive because you’ve done it. I think to run you have to be hungry,” he explains.

“The marathon is hard. I thought it’d be easier than it is, but it’s not! In the 10,000m you might feel tired with maybe five laps to go. You hang on for a lap and then you only have a mile to run and you somehow get through it. It’s easier on the mind.

“But in the marathon, if you feel bad with 10-12 miles to go, it’s a long way to go. And in the marathon you never know how you’re going to feel.”

Farah appeared to cruise to victory in Chicago last year but did he feel as good as he looked? “Yes, I felt great and could have run quicker,” he says, “but in London (in April, where he ran 2:05:39 in fifth) I didn’t!”

It seems to aggravate him a little and he talks in envy and mild wonderment about Kipchoge’s record of 11 wins in 12 marathon majors. “It’s amazing consistency,” he says.

But isn’t Farah similarly consistent in the Great North Run and 5000/10,000m on the track? “Yeah, but it’s not the marathon though, is it?” he replies with a shrug. “In the marathon I’m still searching.”

He talks about the marathon at the Olympics in Tokyo being “brutal” due to the potential weather conditions but he has not ruled out racing there. “In 2020, if I’m capable of winning a medal for my country then I’ll go out there,” he says. “Winning medals is still important for me.”

As for Kipchoge and his sub-two-hour marathon tilt at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna? “If he does it there will be so many more people believing that they can then do it,” Farah reckons.

“It’ll be the same as when Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile. He was the first to do that but years later I was doing it at the end of my races, like at the Worlds in Moscow in 2013,” he says.

“The more you believe, the more it is possible.”

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GB's Murray & Skupski beaten in semi-final

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 17:05

Britons Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski failed to reach the men's doubles final, losing in two sets to top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

The Columbian pair, who are Wimbledon champions, won 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) in just over two hours in New York.

There were no breaks of serve in the semi-final with Farah and Cabal converting their third match point.

They will play Spain's Marcel Granollers and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in Friday's final.

Zeballos and Granollers defeated Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) in the other semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

Murray and Skupski, the 15th seeds, had two set points in the second-set tie-break against Cabal and Farah but could not convert either with the Colombians securing the win when Skupski netted a forehand smash.

"It was a close match, no breaks of serve, not many break points either," Murray said. "I guess we just didn't make enough good returns at the right time and ended up losing.

"It's frustrating to be that close to the final, losing by such a close margin, but it's been a good tournament.

"We played some good tennis, five good matches, so it bodes well for us going forward."

The Britons are still a relatively new pairing, having teamed up after this year's French Open. They lost in the first round at Wimbledon.

Scot Murray is already through to the mixed doubles final, where he and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands will face the top seeds - Chan Hao-ching, of Chinese Tapei, and New Zealander Michael Venus.

In the women's doubles, Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka are through to the final after thrashing Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Viktoria Kuzmova 6-0 6-1.

They will play the winners of the semi-final between Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka and Vania King and Caroline Dolehide.

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Nadal 'greatest fighter ever' in tennis - men's semi-finals preview

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 16:07

Rafael Nadal is tennis' "greatest fighter ever", says his US Open semi-final opponent Matteo Berrettini.

Spaniard Nadal, 33, faces Italian 24th seed Berrettini on Friday for a place in the final at Flushing Meadows.

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov plays Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the first semi-final on Arthur Ashe Stadium from 21:00 BST.

"It's unbelievable what he's doing," 23-year-old Berrettini said of 18-time Grand Slam champion Nadal.

"I admire him, the way he is on the court. His attitude is something that is... I think it's close to perfection.

"I think he's the greatest fighter ever in this sport."

Three of Nadal's 18 majors have been won in New York and he is a heavy favourite to close within one of Roger Federer's record men's tally of 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

He has dropped only one set in the tournament so far, against 2014 champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round.

Friday's match will be the first meeting between Nadal and Berrettini, with the latter playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Berrettini defeated 13th seed Gael Monfils to progress to the last four and Nadal - who last won the US Open title in 2017 - expects a challenge.

"He is having a great year. He's in the semi-finals, winning a lot of good matches," said the second seed.

"In the semi-finals of a Grand Slam match you can't expect an easy opponent. You can't expect an easy match.

"He's serving huge, big forehands, moving well, and big confidence because he's having a great year."

Berrettini was just nine when Nadal won his first Grand Slam title - at Roland Garros in 2005 - and says his first memory of the Spaniard is from that year's Italian Open.

Nadal beat Guillermo Coria in a five-set epic to win in Rome, but, back then, Berrettini had very different priorities.

"They were showing the match on the TV for free, but it was a channel that was about cartoons," he said.

"I was young. These guys, I mean, six hours. Come on! I want to catch my cartoons."

Medvedev 'working to be better' after discipline issues

Before Nadal and Berrettini take to the court, fifth seed Medvedev faces unseeded Dimitrov in their first meeting since 2017.

Medvedev, 23, has been in the headlines for a variety of reasons in New York, facing jeers from the crowd after his third and fourth-round victories.

He was fined $9,000 (£7,400) for a visible obscenity and unsportsmanlike conduct during his third-round win over Feliciano Lopez.

"What I got I deserved. Usually I'm not like this, as I was in the third-round match. I'm not proud of it. I'm working to be better," Medvedev said.

"Hopefully I can show the bright side of myself."

Medvedev entered the US Open following a successful few weeks on the hard courts, winning in Cincinnati after reaching the finals of both the Rogers Cup and the Citi Open in Washington.

"I am surprised. That's what I've been working for all my life. That's where I've been going step by step," he added.

"I was improving my rankings. But I am still really surprised with the way this last four weeks have been going.

"That's what I've been working for. That's what I've dreamed of. I've achieved some of what I've dreamt."

'I don't want to go there anymore' - Dimitrov enjoying return to form

Until now, this has been a year to forget for Dimitrov with a shoulder injury a big factor in the former world number three slipping to 78 in the rankings and forcing him to withdraw from four tournaments.

Coming into US Open, Dimitrov had lost seven of his previous eight matches. But his five-set victory over five-time US Open champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals demonstrated a resurgence in form as the 28-year-old reached his first Grand Slam semi-final since the 2017 Australian Open.

"It was that low that I don't even want to go there any more. It was just obviously injury, losing points, ranking. That's the lowest point of any player," said Dimitrov.

"I think the past six, seven months have been pretty rough for me. But I had somebody to lean on, my friends, my family. I kept on believing again in the work, the rehab I had to put behind my shoulder, the exercise, the practice, fixing up the racquet a little bit. There were so many things I had to adjust in such a small but big period of time.

"Next thing you know, you're almost end of the year, you have a result like that. It's pretty special to me."

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'Still reaching US Open finals 20 years on? I'd have said you were joking' - Williams

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 22:07

Serena Williams says she would not have believed after her first US Open title in 1999 that she would be playing in a record 10th final 20 years later.

Williams, 37, stormed into the Flushing Meadows final with a 6-3 6-1 win over Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina.

The American will bid for a record-equalling 24th major singles title on Saturday against Bianca Andreescu.

"I would have thought it was a sick joke," Williams said of being in a final 20 years after her first.

"At 17, I thought for sure I'd be retired at 28, 29, living my life. I would definitely not have believed somebody saying that."

Williams is aiming to equal Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of Grand Slam singles titles.

The eighth seed has competed in three major finals since returning from giving birth to daughter Olympia in September 2017. She lost in the past two Wimbledon finals as well as a controversial US Open showpiece against Naomi Osaka in New York last year.

"I think it's cool that I've been in more finals than I think anyone on tour after being pregnant. That's kind of awesome," she said.

"I look at it that way because it's not easy to go through what I did and come back, and so fast.

"To keep playing, to also not be 20 years old, I'm pretty proud of myself."

Williams is the favourite to beat 19-year-old Canadian Andreescu, who will be competing in her first Grand Slam final after beating Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in the last four, particularly after the way in which she destroyed semi-final opponent Svitolina.

Williams hit 33 winners in a powerful display that Svitolina could not cope with, although Williams agreed with the Ukrainian's assertion she could have played even better.

"I think it was solid. It definitely wasn't my best tennis," Williams said.

"It's interesting that she knows that. She's a super professional to know that.

"She probably could have played better as well. I definitely know I could have played better."

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Brilliant Williams to face Andreescu in US Open final

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 20:50

Serena Williams has another shot at winning a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title after demolishing Elina Svitolina to reach the US Open final.

The American, 37, overpowered the Ukrainian fifth seed to win 6-3 6-1.

Williams, seeded eighth, is aiming for her first Grand Slam win since giving birth in September 2017.

The six-time champion will face Canadian 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu in Saturday's final in New York.

In a gripping encounter, Andreescu defeated 22-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic 7-6 (7-3) 7-5, winning the last five games of the match.

Andreescu, who is playing in the US Open main draw for the first time and competing in only her fourth Grand Slam, was born nine months after Williams won her first title at Flushing Meadows in 1999.

Williams underlines why she is favourite for victory

Williams is already considered by many as the greatest female player ever, yet will not be satisfied herself until she has levelled - and then overtaken - Australian Margaret Court's total of all-time Grand Slam singles titles.

Following the difficult birth of daughter Olympia two years ago which almost cost Williams her life, she has reached consecutive Wimbledon finals - plus last year's controversial US Open showpiece against Naomi Osaka - without capping what has already been a remarkable comeback with another major win.

For Williams to not go on and win a seventh US Open title - an Open era record in the women's singles - would be a major shock on the evidence of her performances over the past two weeks.

Free of the knee injury which bothered her earlier this year, she is looking as sharp, powerful and clinical as she has in a long time.

That was illustrated by the ease with which she swatted aside Svitolina, the highest ranked player to reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows and competing in her second successive Grand Slam semi-final.

The 24-year-old has one of the most impenetrable returning games on the WTA Tour, yet even she could not keep Williams at bay.

After a slow start where Svitolina could conceivably have led 2-0, it was the American who broke at the first attempt and from that point it was all one-way traffic.

Williams found her range quickly and dominated with her powerful, precise hitting which resulted in 33 winners in a match which lasted only one hour and 10 minutes.

"The first two games were long games and I know how she can play - she is a good player," Williams said.

"I wanted to not get off to a slow start and I wanted to hang in there."

Svitolina rues missed opportunities

Svitolina was expected to provide a tougher test for Williams after clinically dispatching British number one Johanna Konta in their quarter-final on Wednesday.

With her fleet of foot and ability to return, she would have been hoping to withstand everything fired by Williams and then outlast her older opponent.

But even she could not cope with the pummelling produced by the American.

Svitolina's inability to take any of six break points in the early part of the first set proved terminal to her hopes.

Helped by three unforced errors from Williams in the opening game, Svitolina created three break points which she could not convert and then saw her illustrious opponent fight back from a 0-40 deficit to break for a 2-0 lead after a hard-fought 15 minutes.

Another 0-40 lead disappeared as Williams held for a 4-1 lead and from that point Svitolina's confidence sapped, along with her ability to push her opponent.

"I just wish I could have taken those opportunities," said Svitolina, who won the season-ending WTA Tour Finals last year.

"It could be maybe a 2-2 or 3-3 instead of 0-3, which allows you to push to play more freely."

In the second set she was not able to touch Williams's serve, winning just three receiving points.

"She has unbelievable strength. She gives lots of power," Svitolina said.

"There's lots of power behind her shots all the time. That's what makes her an unbelievable, legendary tennis player."

Determined Andreescu battles through

Saturday's final at Flushing Meadows comes four weeks after Williams tearfully retired with a back injury against Andreescu in the Rogers Cup final in Toronto.

Andreescu and Bencic were both competing in their first major semi-final, with the Canadian becoming the first teenager to play in a US Open last-four match since 2009.

Bencic made the running in the opening set but was undone as Andreescu saved all six break points created by the Swiss.

Andreescu raced into a 5-0 lead in the first-set tie-break, and despite Bencic attempting a comeback, she made her lead count as her visibly frustrated opponent came to rue her missed opportunities.

Perhaps it was the spur that Bencic - who reached the quarter-finals in New York as a 17-year-old in 2014 - needed as she replied in stunning fashion, quickly going a double break up, and despite having her own serve broken, immediately broke again to extend her lead to 5-2.

But Andreescu refused to go away and won the next five games, breaking Andreescu once more on her third match point to book her place in the final.

"I think it's just all the hard work I've put in through the years," she said. "If someone told me a year ago I would be in the US Open final this year, I'd tell them they were crazy.

"It's just surreal. I really don't know what to say. It's a dream come true playing against Serena in the final of the US Open. It's crazy."

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Flushing Meadows

Bianca Andreescu may not wish to dwell for too long on the highlights of Serena Williams' semi-final performance.

The power could be taken for granted, but perhaps not the quality of the angles she produced and her movement around the court.

The stakes rise enormously in a Grand Slam final, and Williams has lost her previous three, but in terms of preparation and confidence-building this was extremely handy.

Not that Andreescu has much to worry about, as the 19-year-old has won her last 22 completed matches, either side of a shoulder injury.

No wonder she never knows when she is beaten. Belinda Bencic made the running in both sets, but still ended up losing them.

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Feeling the tension, last eight teams decided in Nantes

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 15:41

England and Portugal emerged the nations to upset the seeding in the men’s event, in the women’s competition the distinction belonged to Poland.

The no.9 seeds, England overcame Belarus, the no.6 seeds; a 3-1 success being the margin of victory, Liam Pitchford the mainstay. He beat Pavel Platonov (11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7) in the opening match of the fixture before bringing matters to a close by overcoming Vladimir Samsonov (10-12, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8). The one further success for England was recorded in the third match of the engagement when Sam Walker accounted for Aliaksandr Khanin (11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5).

Convincing performances

A four match win for England; it was even more convincing for Portugal, the no.10 seeds, in opposition to Greece, the no.8 seeds. Marcos Freitas, João Monteiro and Tiago Apolonia showed no charity as they posted a 3-0 win against the outfit comprising Panagiotis Gionis, Kalinikos Kreanga and Ioannis Sgouropoulos.

Impressive from the Portuguese trio, in the women’s event it was impressive from Poland, the no.11 seeds, especially from the reigning European champion, Li Qian. Lining up alongside Natalia Bajor and Natalia Partyka, a 3-1 victory margin was posted against the no.6 seeds, the Swedish combination of Matilda Ekholm, Linda Bergström and Christina Källberg. Li Qian beat both Linda Bergström (9-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-2) and Matilda Ekholm (11-6, 11-6, 11-8); the one further Polish win was secured by Natalia Bajor, in the fourth match of the fixture she overcame Christina Källberg (11-13, 11-3, 11-2, 11-9).

Narrow margin

Upsets and there were close calls, none more so than in the men’s team contest between Poland, the no.7 seeds and Belgium, the no.12 seeds; supported by Jakub Dyjas and Samuel Kulczycki, Marek Badowski emerged the Polish hero against the unit comprising Cédric Nuytinck, Florent Lambiet and Martin Allegro. In the opening match of the fixture he beat Cédric Nuytinck (11-5, 11-4, 13-11), before in the vital fifth and deciding match of the contest, after Jakub Djyas had levelled matters by overcoming Cédric Nuytinck (11-9, 11-7, 11-9), he accounted for Florent Lambiet by the very narrowest of five game margins (11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 3-11, 15-13).

A full distance five match contest, it was the same in the men’s team event for the no.4 seeds, Austria’s Robert Gardos, Daniel Habesohn and Stefan Fegerl in opposition to Denmark’s Jonathan Groth, Anders Lind and Tobias Rasmussen. Just as Marek Badowski was Poland’s hero playing in the first and fifth matches, so Robert Gardos was the Austrian star. He beat both Jonathan Groth (11-6, 14-12, 11-8) and Anders Lind (11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-2); the one further Austrian win was secured by Stefan Fegerl, in the third match of the fixture. He overcame Tomias Rasmussen (11-7, 11-5, 11-8).

Similarly, in the women’s event the French outfit formed by Laura Gasnier, Pauline Chasselin and Audrey Zarif, the no.8 seeds, needed the full five matches to overcome the no.12 seeds, the Luxembourg team of Sarah de Nutte, Ni Xia Lian and Tessy Gonderinger. The player to cause the problems being Ni Xia Lian, she accounted for both Pauline Chasselin (11-0, 11-3, 13-11) and Laura Gasnier (11-6, 11-7, 12-10).

Comprehensive wins

Moments of trepidation for the French women, not for their male counterparts; the no.3 seeds, selecting Simon Gauzy, Emmanuel Lebesson and Can Akkuzu, in their concluding group stage encounter, a 3-0 win was recorded in opposition to the no.15 seeds, the Slovakian combination of Alexander Valuch, Lubomir Pistej and Wang Yang.

Imposing from France, in the men’s event it was the same from Germany. The top seeds; fielding Timo Boll, Patrick Franziska and Dimitrij Ovtcharov, a 3-0 win was recorded against the no.13 seeds, the Russian combination of Kirill Skachkov, Alexander Shibaev and Vladimir Sidorenko.

Likewise, for the women, the top seeded Romania trio of Bernadette Szocs, Elizabeta Samara and Daniela Monteiro-Dodean was totally focused; they reserved first position in their group courtesy of a 3-0 win when facing the no.14 seeds, the Spanish combination of Galia Dvorak, Maria Xiao and Zhang Xuan.

Quarter-final draw

The last eight teams decided. At the quarter-final stage of the men’s event, Germany plays Slovenia, Poland opposes France; in the adjacent half of the draw Austria confronts Portugal, England meets Sweden. In the women’s competition it is Romania versus France, Poland against the Netherlands; in the lower section of the draw Hungary opposes Ukraine, Portugal meets Germany.

All quarter-final fixtures will be played on Friday 6th September.

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Quarter-final place secured, what makes Team England tick?

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 16:18

A 3-1 victory over Luxembourg in the opening round of group phase action handed England a fighting chance of qualifying from Group 6, but a mighty test was still to come with Belarus also in contention.

In a winner takes all affair, it was England that established the early advantage against their Belarusian counterparts through Liam Pitchford. He led by example with a four games win over Pavel Platonov (11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7). However, it didn’t take long for Belarus to level the score at 1-1 as the legendary Vladimir Samsonov showed little sympathy for Paul Drinkhall (11-7, 11-9, 11-7).

With the match hanging in the balance, the third fixture carried added importance for both sides with the flow of momentum being affected significantly. A young man fully capable of producing big wins under high pressure conditions, Sam Walker restored his country’s lead with a 3-1 victory at the expense of Aliaksandr Khanin (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5) to move England to within touching distance of the quarter-finals.

Up against the ropes at 2-1 down, Belarus needed its talisman Vladimir Samsonov more than ever. But, it was not to be as the former World Championships finalist succumbed to a four games defeat at the hands of Liam Pitchford (10-12, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8). The match was over and after a gruelling session, it was England’s day!

“It is always nice to beat a legend. It was really difficult. All the games were very close. I didn’t let him control the match and I was very fast in the rallies. We were very well prepared. The third match involving Sam Walker was very important. He had to win that one! Coming to the table at 2-1 for me was obviously a much better position then it was for Samsonov.” Liam Pitchford

What makes this England team so dangerous? Over the past few years England has firmly established itself amongst the world elite in team competition following tremendous bronze medal winning campaigns at the Perfect 2016 World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur and the 2018 ITTF Team World Cup on home soil in London.

Perhaps it’s the impressive balance found throughout the team: not only does the team boast a World top 30 player in Liam Pitchford, but also two well versed fighters in Paul Drinkhall and Sam Walker along with the exciting young talent of Tom Jarvis. Then there’s the great heart and togetherness the squad possesses, traits which have helped dig them out of dangerous positions on multiple occasions. The belief and courage really does shine through for all to see, making them formidable opposition for whoever stands in their way.

Awaiting England in the quarter-finals is a fierce challenge in the form of Sweden – the last head-to-head at 2018 World Team Championships Sweden secured a convincing 3-0 quarter-final victory in Halmstad. However, plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since then and the Swedish team aren’t taking anything for granted in Nantes with both Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson anticipating a close contest:

“Our next one will be against England and they are a really strong team.” Mattias Falck

“I am looking forward to our match against England. They are our friends and I am sure it will be good match to watch.” Kristian Karlsson

Will it be another victory for Sweden to celebrate or can England strike another magical team performance to stun the second seeds?

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Brazil and United States claim team titles

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 05 September 2019 19:26

by Ian Marshall, Editor

After recording a 3-1 semi-final win in opposition to the Chilean outfit comprising Daniela Ortega, Valentina Rios and Paulina Vega, a full distance 3-2 defeat was experienced in the final at the hands of the United States combination formed by Amy Wang, Crystal Wang, Wu Yue and Crystal Wang.

Against Chile, Bruna Takahashi had beaten both Valentina Rios (11-2, 11-9, 14-12) and Paulina Vega (8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7); facing the United States, she repeated the feat. She accounted for Crystal Wang (12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6) and Wu Yue (12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6).

However those were to prove the only Brazilian successes; the agony being that in the decisive fifth match of the fixture, Jessica Yamada experienced defeat by the very narrowest of possible margins. She was beaten by Crystal Wang (11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9).

Impressive semi-final success

A fine effort by the United States outfit and a fine effort one round earlier; Amy Wang, Wu Yue and Lily Zhang on duty, a 3-0 semi-final win had been recorded against Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, Melanie Diaz and Daniely Rios, the winners of the women’s team event at the recent Pan American Games in Lima.

One step short for Brazil in the women’s team competition; in the counterpart men’s event, it was the top step, a 3-1 win being the margin of victory in opposition to Puerto Rico in the title decider. Backbone of the success was the experienced Gustavo Tsuboi. He beat both Angel Naranjo (11-4, 11-7, 11-9) and Daniel Gonzalez (11-4, 11-5, 11-3).

The one further win for the Brazilians was secured by Eric Jouti, in the third match of the engagement he accounted for Brian Afanador (11-9, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9). Meanwhile, the one success for Puerto Rico was gained in the opening match, Brian Afanador and Daniel Gonzalez combined to beat Vitor Ishiy and Eric Jouti (9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9).

Earlier at the semi-final stage with no changes to the selection, Brazil had recorded a 3-1 win against the United States combination of Kanak Jha, Nikhil Kumar and Zhang Kai; Puerto Rico, similarly with the same players on duty had secured a 3-0 success when facing Canada’s Jeremy Hazin, Edward Ly and Marko Medjugorac.

Angel Naranjo excels

The one win for the United States was recorded by Kanak Jha; in the second match of the fixture he beat Gustavo Tsuboi (11-9, 6-11, 13-11, 11-9); the player to shine for Puerto Rico was 15 year old Angel Naranjo; he excelled to beat Jeremy Hazin (11-7, 13-11, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8).

The individual events now follow; play concludes in Asuncion on Sunday 8th September.

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'Tata' backs Berhalter: Mexico has edge on U.S.

Published in Soccer

Thursday, 05 September 2019 18:54

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Mexico head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino agrees with U.S. boss Gregg Berhalter: Mexico has the edge over the Stars and Stripes right now.

Berhalter said earlier Thursday ahead of the friendly between the two sides in MetLife Stadium on Friday that he believed Mexico was "slightly ahead of us, having beaten us in the last game and having performed well over the last few years."

Martino concurs, but doesn't believe there is much in it.

"What I think is that Greg and I have a quite similar amount of time [in charge of our teams]," said Martino in a news conference on Thursday. "He probably had more knowledge of MLS when he took over than I had of Mexican football and the Mexican league.

"I think that as a general panorama, our players are competing in leagues that are better than the players in the United States national team and I also think that the Mexican league is above MLS, which means it's very probable that [Berhalter] is right and that from his position he sees the Mexican national team as a little bit better than the U.S. in a general context.

"Having said that, these are two teams that compete well together," continued the Argentine. "We won the Gold Cup final, I think justly, but it was quite an even game and I'm expecting as difficult a game [on Friday]."

Former Atlanta United manager Martino, who won MLS Cup in his second year in the league, praised the way players are increasingly being developed and exported from the United States to European leagues, but believes that Mexico also has the potential to export more youngsters.

"The United States has transformed into a country that exports a lot of young players to Europe," said Martino. "Evidently the development of those players will bear fruits in the future for the United States national team.

"That doesn't mean we don't have the same possibility. I think we have some young players, and others that are already there, that could go to Europe soon and that would be beneficial for us."

Martino will be without Monterrey center-back Cesar Montes and Tigres full-back Luis "Chaka" Rodriguez on Friday and confirmed that the team that faces the United States will be vastly different to the one to play Argentina on Tuesday in San Antonio.

Javier Hernandez, Hirving Lozano, Miguel Layun, Jesus Corona and Hector Herrera are all in El Tri's squad after missing the Gold Cup, but there have been some criticism of Martino for not including 19-year-old striker Jose Juan Macias, who is currently leading the Liga MX goal-scoring chart.

"The hurry comes from you guys [the press], not him and not me," explained Martino, who hinted Macias would be included in the squads to play the CONCACAF Nations Leagues in October and November.

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