The President of the European Olympic Committees Spyros CAPRALOS visited Hutnik Arena and stayed to watch the Women team’s final match between Germany and Romania. President CAPRALOS had a brief meeting with the ETTU Secretary General Pierre KASS ETTU Vice President for Finances Sandra DEATON and European Games technical delegate Richard SCRUTON. “I am delighted to have come here during such a close match. I was very excited ” said President CAPRALOS.
Sweden in the final
Portugal (4) – Germany (1) 1-3 Joao GERALDO Tiago APOLONIA – Patrick FRANZISKA Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-9) Marcos FREITAS – QIU Dang 0-3 (4-11 6-11 2-11) Tiago APOLONIA – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 0-3 (8-11 5-11 4-11) Marcos FREITAS – Patrick FRANZISKA 0-3 (5-11 5-11 5-11) Germany emerged victorious against Portugal despite losing in the doubles. “Despite the defeat in the doubles Dima and Franz played tactically well. Afterward we secured three confident wins in the singles. Dang displayed strong tactical play against FREITAS and showed a positive body language. Dima delivered a confident and impressive performance which we have witnessed in recent training sessions. Now he demonstrated it in the match. And Franz exceeded expectations. However we are aware that Sweden our opponents in tomorrow’s final possesses the ability to defeat us. They have a strong doubles team and players who exude confidence and hunger for titles. It has been a while since they last won a title ” said coach Jörg ROSSKOPF. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV added “It was a strong performance from all three of us in the singles today. Tomorrow’s adversaries are slightly stronger but today’s matches have given us confidence. Finals are meant to be won so we must give our all tomorrow.” Patrick FRANZISKA emphasized the importance of their reaction after the doubles stating “Dang was outstanding followed by Dima and me. The doubles event will be especially crucial tomorrow against Sweden.” In the final of the Men’s Team’s event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow two top seeded teams will play for the title. The ultimate match at the tournament between Germany and Sweden is scheduled for Saturday at 6.15 PM. Portrugal and France will play for bronze at 11 AM. France (3) – Sweden (2) 2-3 Simon GAUZY Alexis LEBRUN – Kristian KARLSSON Truls MOREGARDH 2-3 (13-11 6-11 11-8 11-6 7-11) Felix LEBRUN – Anton KALLBERG 3-2 (11-8 2-11 5-11 11-8 11-7) Alexis LEBRUN – Truls MOREHARDH 0-3 (7-11 5-11 14-16) Felix LEBRUN – Kristian KARLSSON 3-1 (6-11 11-8 11-6 11-9) Simon GAUZY – Anton KALLBERG 1-3 (6-11 11-5 8-11 7-11) It took three hours for Team Sweden to halt France’s progress. Despite Felix LEBRUN’s individual match performance it was insufficient to propel his team into the final. Sweden emerged victorious in the doubles while Truls MOREGARDH and Anton KALLBERG prevailed against Alexi LEBRUN and Simon GAUZY. KALLBERG initially lost against Felix remarking “It was the first time we played against each other. He has been performing at the highest level here as evidenced by his gold in singles. The match had several back-and-forth moments. It happened two or three times but in the end he was better. He made better decisions and I made a few mistakes under his pressure. His service game is fantastic and you never know where the ball will go. You have to be constantly alert and quick in decision-making.” In the decisive match Anton faced GAUZY. “We have played against each other many times in leagues and internationally. You can’t give him any free points because he is very dangerous. You have to put every ball on the table when you play against him ” said KALLBERG. Truls MOREGARDH performed superbly against the older LEBRUN brother a bronze medalist in Krakow. “I had previously lost to Alexei twice in big matches. At 1-1 in such a crucial team duel my match was important. Tactically I played very well and I managed to deceive him a little. However the pressure was on him this time. Everyone thought he was the favorite today so I could enjoy my game and play my best table tennis ” said MOREGARDH. The first point in the match came from the doubles. “Kristian and I teamed up in doubles for the first time and I am satisfied with our play.”
Sweden in the final
Portugal (4) – Germany (1) 1-3 Joao GERALDO Tiago APOLONIA – Patrick FRANZISKA Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-9) Marcos FREITAS – QIU Dang 0-3 (4-11 6-11 2-11) Tiago APOLONIA – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 0-3 (8-11 5-11 4-11) Marcos FREITAS – Patrick FRANZISKA 0-3 (5-11 5-11 5-11) Germany emerged victorious against Portugal despite losing in the doubles. “Despite the defeat in the doubles Dima and Franz played tactically well. Afterward we secured three confident wins in the singles. Dang displayed strong tactical play against FREITAS and showed a positive body language. Dima delivered a confident and impressive performance which we have witnessed in recent training sessions. Now he demonstrated it in the match. And Franz exceeded expectations. However we are aware that Sweden our opponents in tomorrow’s final possesses the ability to defeat us. They have a strong doubles team and players who exude confidence and hunger for titles. It has been a while since they last won a title ” said coach Jörg ROSSKOPF. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV added “It was a strong performance from all three of us in the singles today. Tomorrow’s adversaries are slightly stronger but today’s matches have given us confidence. Finals are meant to be won so we must give our all tomorrow.” Patrick FRANZISKA emphasized the importance of their reaction after the doubles stating “Dang was outstanding followed by Dima and me. The doubles event will be especially crucial tomorrow against Sweden.” In the final of the Men’s Team’s event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow two top seeded teams will play for the title. The ultimate match at the tournament between Germany and Sweden is scheduled for Saturday at 6.15 PM. Portrugal and France will play for bronze at 11 AM. France (3) – Sweden (2) 2-3 Simon GAUZY Alexis LEBRUN – Kristian KARLSSON Truls MOREGARDH 2-3 (13-11 6-11 11-8 11-6 7-11) Felix LEBRUN – Anton KALLBERG 3-2 (11-8 2-11 5-11 11-8 11-7) Alexis LEBRUN – Truls MOREHARDH 0-3 (7-11 5-11 14-16) Felix LEBRUN – Kristian KARLSSON 3-1 (6-11 11-8 11-6 11-9) Simon GAUZY – Anton KALLBERG 1-3 (6-11 11-5 8-11 7-11) It took three hours for Team Sweden to halt France’s progress. Despite Felix LEBRUN’s individual match performance it was insufficient to propel his team into the final. Sweden emerged victorious in the doubles while Truls MOREGARDH and Anton KALLBERG prevailed against Alexi LEBRUN and Simon GAUZY. KALLBERG initially lost against Felix remarking “It was the first time we played against each other. He has been performing at the highest level here as evidenced by his gold in singles. The match had several back-and-forth moments. It happened two or three times but in the end he was better. He made better decisions and I made a few mistakes under his pressure. His service game is fantastic and you never know where the ball will go. You have to be constantly alert and quick in decision-making.” In the decisive match Anton faced GAUZY. “We have played against each other many times in leagues and internationally. You can’t give him any free points because he is very dangerous. You have to put every ball on the table when you play against him ” said KALLBERG. Truls MOREGARDH performed superbly against the older LEBRUN brother a bronze medalist in Krakow. “I had previously lost to Alexei twice in big matches. At 1-1 in such a crucial team duel my match was important. Tactically I played very well and I managed to deceive him a little. However the pressure was on him this time. Everyone thought he was the favorite today so I could enjoy my game and play my best table tennis ” said MOREGARDH. The first point in the match came from the doubles. “Kristian and I teamed up in doubles for the first time and I am satisfied with our play.”
Germany’s Women’s Team Reigns Supreme
The reigning champions Germany’s Women’s Team have never lost a match at the European Games. They claimed the title in Baku 2015 and Minsk 2019. In Krakow they have already secured their spot in the final of the 2023 European Games Krakow after a dominant performance against Portugal in the opening match of the day. In the second match of the day Romania beat France to join Germany in the final to be played on Saturday 2.30 PM. Match for bronze is scheduled for 11AM – Portugal will meet France. Romania (2) – France (3) 3-1 Adina DIACONU Elizabeta SAMARA – Prithika PAVADE Camille LUTZ 2-3 (9-11 11-8 11-9 4-11 9-11) Bernadette SZOCS – YUAN Jia Nan 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-9) Elizabeta SAMARA – Camille LUTZ 3-0 (11-6 11-8 11-3) Bernadette SZOCS – Prithika PAVADE 3-1 (11-9 6-11 11-7 11-7) Romania defeated France to secure their place in the final of the European Games. After a shaky start in the doubles Romania regained control in the singles matches. “Adina and I didn’t have much chance to practice together but despite that we played a good match. It was close ” stated SAMARA. “Against LUTZ I remained very calm. My experience came forward.” Bernadette SZOCS displayed the same level of performance as she did in the first part of the tournament when she won gold in singles. Firstly against YUAN Jia Nan and then against Prithika PAVADE she led the team to success in the semifinals. “I’ve always had close matches against YUAN. At the beginning I was trailing 2-3 but then I managed to win 3-2… However this is the first time I’ve won in straight matches ” said SZOCS. The match against PAVADE proved to be a closer affair than the one against YUAN. “I’ve never played against PAVADE before so I needed some time to settle into the rhythm.” Next in line is Germany the team that defeated them four years ago in Minsk in the final. “I hope we can avenge our defeat from the last final. Both SAMARA and I have beaten their best players in singles. Eliza overcame HAN Ying and I prevailed against Nina MITTELHAM here. I hope we can replicate the success once again in the team event ” said SZOCS. Portugal (4) – Germany (1) 0-3 Ines MATOS SHAO Jieni – Nina MITTELHAM SHAN Xiaona 0-3 (5-11 6-11 7-11) YU Fu – HAN Ying 1-3 (6-11 4-11 11-6 7-11) SHAO Jieni – SHAN Xiaona 1-3 (7-11 12-10 13-15 12-14) In the semi final Germany dominated. “We performed better than yesterday against Sweden. SHAN Xiaona’s match was a bit closer but it was her first singles match here in Krakow. She should have another singles match before the final ” said coach Tamara BOROS. HAN initially had complete control in her match against YU Fu but the Portuguese player managed to put pressure in the later stages. “The first two games were not too challenging as FU Yu didn’t display a high level of play. However she improved as the match went on and I’m glad I was able to secure the victory ” said HAN Ying. Three out of the four games in the match between SHAN Xiaona and SHAO Jieni were decided by the narrowest of margins. “Jieni performs exceptionally well against me – I’ve won by a slim margin every time. I always have to engage in numerous rallies against her. From a tactical standpoint I should have focused more on ball placement rather than playing every shot too tightly ” stated SHAN.
Germany’s Women’s Team Reigns Supreme
The reigning champions Germany’s Women’s Team have never lost a match at the European Games. They claimed the title in Baku 2015 and Minsk 2019. In Krakow they have already secured their spot in the final of the 2023 European Games Krakow after a dominant performance against Portugal in the opening match of the day. In the second match of the day Romania beat France to join Germany in the final to be played on Saturday 2.30 PM. Match for bronze is scheduled for 11AM – Portugal will meet France. Romania (2) – France (3) 3-1 Adina DIACONU Elizabeta SAMARA – Prithika PAVADE Camille LUTZ 2-3 (9-11 11-8 11-9 4-11 9-11) Bernadette SZOCS – YUAN Jia Nan 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-9) Elizabeta SAMARA – Camille LUTZ 3-0 (11-6 11-8 11-3) Bernadette SZOCS – Prithika PAVADE 3-1 (11-9 6-11 11-7 11-7) Romania defeated France to secure their place in the final of the European Games. After a shaky start in the doubles Romania regained control in the singles matches. “Adina and I didn’t have much chance to practice together but despite that we played a good match. It was close ” stated SAMARA. “Against LUTZ I remained very calm. My experience came forward.” Bernadette SZOCS displayed the same level of performance as she did in the first part of the tournament when she won gold in singles. Firstly against YUAN Jia Nan and then against Prithika PAVADE she led the team to success in the semifinals. “I’ve always had close matches against YUAN. At the beginning I was trailing 2-3 but then I managed to win 3-2… However this is the first time I’ve won in straight matches ” said SZOCS. The match against PAVADE proved to be a closer affair than the one against YUAN. “I’ve never played against PAVADE before so I needed some time to settle into the rhythm.” Next in line is Germany the team that defeated them four years ago in Minsk in the final. “I hope we can avenge our defeat from the last final. Both SAMARA and I have beaten their best players in singles. Eliza overcame HAN Ying and I prevailed against Nina MITTELHAM here. I hope we can replicate the success once again in the team event ” said SZOCS. Portugal (4) – Germany (1) 0-3 Ines MATOS SHAO Jieni – Nina MITTELHAM SHAN Xiaona 0-3 (5-11 6-11 7-11) YU Fu – HAN Ying 1-3 (6-11 4-11 11-6 7-11) SHAO Jieni – SHAN Xiaona 1-3 (7-11 12-10 13-15 12-14) In the semi final Germany dominated. “We performed better than yesterday against Sweden. SHAN Xiaona’s match was a bit closer but it was her first singles match here in Krakow. She should have another singles match before the final ” said coach Tamara BOROS. HAN initially had complete control in her match against YU Fu but the Portuguese player managed to put pressure in the later stages. “The first two games were not too challenging as FU Yu didn’t display a high level of play. However she improved as the match went on and I’m glad I was able to secure the victory ” said HAN Ying. Three out of the four games in the match between SHAN Xiaona and SHAO Jieni were decided by the narrowest of margins. “Jieni performs exceptionally well against me – I’ve won by a slim margin every time. I always have to engage in numerous rallies against her. From a tactical standpoint I should have focused more on ball placement rather than playing every shot too tightly ” stated SHAN.
Israelis participate in The European Veterans Championships in table tennis
The majority of players at The European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord have travelled from abroad some further than others. The participants who have travelled the furthest though are our Israeli friends from the southernmost member state of the ETTU. 20 players from Israel participate in Sandefjord. The distance from the capital Jerusalem to Sandefjord is some 5 000 kilometers. The Jewish contribution to table tennis is enormous. The first President of the International Table Tennis Federation the founder in fact was Jewish -Ivor Montagu. So were most of the top players in the world from the 1920s until the 60s. The likes of Viktor BARNA Alojzy EHRLICH Richard BERGMANN Ruth AARONS and Angelica ROZEANU were all Jewish and completely dominated international table tennis for so many years winning gold medals over and over again. At the Ping Pong Diplomacy that made diplomatic relations between USA and China possible an important figure was the American table tennis player Glenn COWAN who was also Jewish. When the state of Israel was founded in 1948 the Israeli government decided that one of the four sports they wanted to promote was table tennis due to its lack of aggressiveness. The Israeli participants in the European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord Norway enjoyed their time and we look forward to meet the players from the southernmost table tennis federation in the European Table Tennis Union at the next championships.
Israelis participate in The European Veterans Championships in table tennis
The majority of players at The European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord have travelled from abroad some further than others. The participants who have travelled the furthest though are our Israeli friends from the southernmost member state of the ETTU. 20 players from Israel participate in Sandefjord. The distance from the capital Jerusalem to Sandefjord is some 5 000 kilometers. The Jewish contribution to table tennis is enormous. The first President of the International Table Tennis Federation the founder in fact was Jewish -Ivor Montagu. So were most of the top players in the world from the 1920s until the 60s. The likes of Viktor BARNA Alojzy EHRLICH Richard BERGMANN Ruth AARONS and Angelica ROZEANU were all Jewish and completely dominated international table tennis for so many years winning gold medals over and over again. At the Ping Pong Diplomacy that made diplomatic relations between USA and China possible an important figure was the American table tennis player Glenn COWAN who was also Jewish. When the state of Israel was founded in 1948 the Israeli government decided that one of the four sports they wanted to promote was table tennis due to its lack of aggressiveness. The Israeli participants in the European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord Norway enjoyed their time and we look forward to meet the players from the southernmost table tennis federation in the European Table Tennis Union at the next championships.
Herbert Neubauer: Diplomat doctor and developer
For many table tennis players dr. Neubauer is the synonym to tricky pimples out rubbers that we hated to play against when we were young but so many of us ended up using when we got older. There is more to the story though. For NEUBAUER attending the European veterans Championships in Sandfjord Norway bring back good memories. When Norway arranged the World Veterans Championships in the Olympic town of Lillehammer NEUBAUER won the 50-59 Singles beating among other world famous Dragutin ŠURBEK. Eight years later he became world champion again this time in Yokohama and in Singles 60-64 years. Before all this NEUBAUER got his ph.d. in Economy and he worked as a diplomat for Germany in several countries such as Switzerland France Belgium and Great Britain. Diplomacy is something we know about in table tennis with the important role our sport has played in several situation such as apartheid in South Africa the relation between China and USA and in North- and South-Korea. After almost two decades in diplomacy NEUBAUER wanted to spend more time with his big passion table tennis and he started his company dr. Neubauer in the early 2000s. To develop table tennis rubbers from scratch is a very time consuming prosess with a lot of testing. NEUBAUER can´t say much about how it is done because that is a business secret but there is no question that it takes many hours a day at the table tennis table to figure out how prototypes function in practice. His company now delivers to 80+ countries around the world and there are not many table tennis players who don´t know about their products or have either used it or met players who uses it. In addition to developing table tennis products were his son is taking an ever more important role in running the company NEUBAUER has an ambition that European table tennis should catch up with China and Asia. He argues that European coaches have improved a lot recent years and that young European players such as the Lebrun-brothers are taking giant leaps that might even out the Chinese advantage. To start early is important. Children should start playing with a racket from they are two years old finishes the sympathetic German who lives of and for table tennis.
Herbert Neubauer: Diplomat doctor and developer
For many table tennis players dr. Neubauer is the synonym to tricky pimples out rubbers that we hated to play against when we were young but so many of us ended up using when we got older. There is more to the story though. For NEUBAUER attending the European veterans Championships in Sandfjord Norway bring back good memories. When Norway arranged the World Veterans Championships in the Olympic town of Lillehammer NEUBAUER won the 50-59 Singles beating among other world famous Dragutin ŠURBEK. Eight years later he became world champion again this time in Yokohama and in Singles 60-64 years. Before all this NEUBAUER got his ph.d. in Economy and he worked as a diplomat for Germany in several countries such as Switzerland France Belgium and Great Britain. Diplomacy is something we know about in table tennis with the important role our sport has played in several situation such as apartheid in South Africa the relation between China and USA and in North- and South-Korea. After almost two decades in diplomacy NEUBAUER wanted to spend more time with his big passion table tennis and he started his company dr. Neubauer in the early 2000s. To develop table tennis rubbers from scratch is a very time consuming prosess with a lot of testing. NEUBAUER can´t say much about how it is done because that is a business secret but there is no question that it takes many hours a day at the table tennis table to figure out how prototypes function in practice. His company now delivers to 80+ countries around the world and there are not many table tennis players who don´t know about their products or have either used it or met players who uses it. In addition to developing table tennis products were his son is taking an ever more important role in running the company NEUBAUER has an ambition that European table tennis should catch up with China and Asia. He argues that European coaches have improved a lot recent years and that young European players such as the Lebrun-brothers are taking giant leaps that might even out the Chinese advantage. To start early is important. Children should start playing with a racket from they are two years old finishes the sympathetic German who lives of and for table tennis.
Seventh day of the play in Krakow -quarterfinalists on duty
On the seventh day of the table tennis event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow the top-seeded teams embarked on their quest for a spot on the medal podium. The schedule for today featured the quarterfinal matches. France (3) – Denmark (10) 3-0 Simon GAUZY Alexis LEBRUN – Jonathan GROTH Bergstroem CHRISTENSEN 3-0 (11-8 11-2 12-10) Felix LEBRUN – Anders LIND 3-0 (13-11 11-5 11-8) Alexis LEBRUN – Bergstroem CHRISTENSEN 3-0 (11-8 11-4 11-9) Following their impressive performance in the singles event the talented brothers Felix and Alexis LEBRUN were joined by Simon GAUZY in the team event. “It was a very nice start for our first doubles together. I just arrived so I needed a couple of points to get into the game and feel the atmosphere but I quickly found my rhythm. The doubles match set the tone for what turned out to be a one-sided affair ” said GAUZY. Simon partnered with Alexis for the doubles match but he did not have the opportunity to compete in his singles match. The quarterfinal was swiftly resolved in just three matches cutting short the day’s play. Explaining their partnership Simon shared “I have trained a lot with Alexis and we have been working on various strategies. We complement each other well especially with Felix who excels in playing close to the table. AKKUZU is also in great form at the moment and he has practiced doubles during training. So nothing is set in stone at the moment.” Regarding Felix’s gold medal in singles and Alexis’ bronze GAUZY commented “They have been playing incredibly well for the past year so I am not very surprised by their singles performances. Every opponent they faced I never doubted their ability to win. They are truly exceptional.” The LEBRUN brothers added “We took some time to rest but we are in good shape. The physiotherapists have been instrumental in helping us on a daily basis. We had a strong performance against a good team and we are very happy with the outcome.” Portugal (4) – Ukraine (12) 3-1 Ines MATOS YU Fu – Anastasiia DYMYTRENKO Solomiya BRATEYKO 3-2 (2-11 11-4 11-9 5-11 11-4) SHAO Jieni – Margaryta PESOTSKA 1-3 (3-11 11-9 7-11 7-11) YU Fu – Solomiya BRATEYKO 3-1 (12-10 2-11 11-1 11-5) SHAO Jieni – Anastasiia DYMYTRENKO (11-8 11-9 11-5) Despite Ukraine putting Portugal under pressure they were unable to create an upset. As expected Margaryta PESOTSKA secured a victory in her singles match but Solomiya BRATEYKO and Anastasiia DYMYTRENKO were unable to overcome FU Yu and SHAO Jieni. “We were a bit surprised that GAPONOVA did not play but perhaps they believed that SHAO Jieni and FU Yu were strong against defensive players. Overall we believe we have a stronger team so we were confident ” commented Ines MATOS. SHAO Jieni analyzed her match against PESOTSKA stating “PESOTSKA was simply too good for me today and I found myself being too passive. I struggled to receive her serves effectively and she capitalized on my mistakes. Going into the final match I knew it was a crucial one so I gave my full focus and aimed to secure the victory.” Germany (1) – Sweden (11) 3-1 SHAN Xiaona Nina MITTELHAM – Linda BERGSTROM Christina KALLBERG 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-4) HAN Ying – Filippa BERGAND 3-0 (11-1 11-3 11-1) Nina MITTELHAM – Christina KALLBERG 1-3 (6-11 11-6 4-11 9-11) HAN Ying – Linda BERGSTROM 3-2 (11-6 6-11 11-4 3-11 11-5) The opening two matches unfolded smoothly in favor of Germany. However Christina KALLBERG managed to make a breakthrough by defeating Nina MITTELHAM. Linda BERGSTROM also exerted pressure on HAN Ying but HAN ultimately secured the victory in a decisive game. “It was crucial for us that the girls won the doubles. Nina and ‘Nana’ performed exceptionally well. The first two games were almost too easy. However we lost a bit of tension afterward. Nina didn’t feel comfortable today her movement was hindered and she struggled to maintain focus. Linda always puts up a tough fight for Ying in defensive duels as we witnessed in the singles on Sunday. Nonetheless we managed to pull through and that’s what matters ” explained Women’s National Coach Tamara BOROS. “I had a good start in the doubles today and I feel confident. It was my first match in this tournament and I adapted quite well. I tend to feel less nervous in doubles compared to singles ” added SHAN Xiaona. Sweden (2) – Slovakia (11) 3-0 Kristian KARLSSON Truls MOREGARDH- Jakub ZELINKA Lubomir PISTEJ 3-0 (11-6 11-2 11-2) Anton KALLBERG – WANG Yang 3-0 (11-5 13-11 11-6) Truls MOREGARDH – Lubomir PISTEJ 3-2 (11-9 10-12 11-13 11-6 11-7) The duel between Sweden and Slovakia began as a relatively quiet affair but the clash between Anton KALLBERG and WANG Yang and then between Truls MOREGARDH and Lubomir PISTEJ brought a heated atmosphere to the Hutnik Arena. “I have great respect for PISTEJ’s skills even though I defeated him 4-0 in the singles event a few days ago. It was an extremely tough match as he played some fantastic shots. He thrives in such situations and remained highly focused with a lot of supporters cheering for him. It’s not always easy to face these unpredictable shots in close games but I did my best to handle the situation ” expressed MOREGARDH. Earlier Anton KALLBERG emerged victorious against WANG Yang. MOREGARDH praised KALLBERG’s performance stating “Anton was fantastic against the defender so we had a slight advantage. Having just won against Tunisia he fulfilled his role as the team leader exceptionally well.” PISTEJ playfully commented on their previous encounter in the singles event saying “I played against him in singles and I lost 4-0 but I wasn’t using my own racket. I managed to win all the nice points there even though I lost the match ” Lubomir said with a laugh. “Here I lost 3-2. It was a different match and I believe I can beat him
