Table Tennis News: Brits Drinkhall, Ho, and Hursey Advance to Stage 2 of Qualifying
In a strong showing for British table tennis, Paul Drinkhall, Tin-Tin Ho, and Anna Hursey all emerged victorious in their respective qualifying groups, securing their progression to Stage 2 of the competition.
Drinkhall made light work of his opening match, cruising past Daniels Kogans 4-0. He then had to dig deep, coming from two games down to overcome Niagol Stoyanov 4-2 in a hard-fought encounter. Drinkhall continued his impressive form, taking an early 3-0 lead against Elias Hardmeier, who mounted a resilient comeback, but the Brit held his nerve to win the match 4-2 and top his group.
“I’m really pleased with how I’ve performed so far. The matches have been tough, but I’ve managed to stay focused and come through them. I’m looking forward to the next stage of the competition.”
- Paul Drinkhall
Tin-Tin Ho claimed the biggest opening match victory for the Brits, defeating third seed Maria Xiao 4-1 – the first time she had achieved this feat in her career. In her second and final group match, Ho faced regular doubles partner Karoline Mischek, emerging victorious with a solid 4-1 win to top her group.
Anna Hursey also had a strong start, claiming a 4-0 victory over Harisa Mesetovic and following it up with a 4-1 defeat of Ivana Malobabic. Hursey then breezed through her final group match against Marina Donner, winning 4-0 to top her group.
The successful outcomes in Stage 1 mean that Drinkhall, Ho, and Hursey have all progressed to the knockout Stage 2, which will take place on Friday and Saturday. The finals of both the men’s and women’s competitions will determine the athletes who will qualify for the Paris Olympics this summer.
Drinkhall has been drawn against Hungary’s Adam Szudi, while Hursey faces another Hungarian, Dora Madarasz. Ho, who received a bye, will face either Sarah De Nutte of Luxembourg or Ivana Malobabic of Croatia.
The table tennis action continues this weekend, with matches available to watch on ETTU.TV. Fans of the sport can look forward to an exciting conclusion to the qualifying process as the road to the Paris Olympics takes shape.
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