It was a mixed bag for the young and largely inexperienced British squad at the ITTF Montenegro Para Open in Podgorica today. While they didn’t secure any singles medals, there were some promising performances against strong opposition, with good wins for Ryan Henry (men’s class 8) and Chris Ryan (men’s class 2), and a first international win for Devon teenager Bailey Page.
Performance Highlights:
- Ryan Henry topped his group in men’s class 8, with notable wins before facing world number 7, Clement Berthier.
- Chris Ryan showed promise in men’s class 2, including a tight set against world number 10, Martin Ludrovsky.
- Bailey Page achieved his first international win by defeating Pjetro Paljusevic.
Ryan Henry reflected on his performance against Berthier, saying,
“I’ve had a good competition in Montenegro. I’m disappointed not to get the result against Berthier, but he’s a world-class player, and I played well to take two sets.”
On the other hand, Chris Ryan, despite a tight match against Ludrovsky, faced a setback with a loss to world number 5, Luis Bustamante Flores of Chile.
Regarding his debut, Bailey Page displayed potential with a victory in his first international match. However, he faced a challenging match against Yannick Paredis.
The British squad may not have clinched any singles medals, but the budding talent displayed by these young athletes hints at a bright future for table tennis in the country.
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