Broadway

Complete News World

WTT Feeder Düsseldorf I: Shan Xiaona's runner-up - all is clear for Duda after false positive Covid-19 antigen test

WTT Feeder Düsseldorf I: Shan Xiaona’s runner-up – all is clear for Duda after false positive Covid-19 antigen test

vl Brian Afanador / Robert Gardos (Photo: Jörg Fuhrmann)

Dusseldorf. Berliner Shan Xiaona narrowly missed the women’s singles title at the start of the WTT in 2022. In the first two tournaments in Düsseldorf, the two-time European champion, who was in first place, lost in the final to Slovakian Barbora Palazova in seven sets. Victory in the men’s singles went to Austrian Robert Gardus. Defending champion Benedict Duda was not allowed to compete in the semi-finals in the morning due to a positive rapid Covid 19 test. However, after a few hours, the Bergenstadt native received everything clear via a negative PCR test: the antigen test in the morning showed a false positive. After an almost seamless transition at the German Table Tennis Center in Dusseldorf, WTT Feeder II (January 17-20) will follow on Monday.

Shan Xiaona was stopped by Balazova in the final

“I’d like to win the tournament, but I’m not at my best yet,” first seed Shan Xiaona predicted before the match started. The second-placed EM team, based in Dusseldorf and playing for Berlin, reached the final. But unlike her semi-final duel with fellow national teammate Sabine Winter (Schwahausen), the 38-year-old was unable to turn a 0:2 group deficit against Barbora Palazova into a win in the final. In the end, the Slovak, who ousted Chantal Mantz (Langstadt) 4:1 in the semi-finals, won by 11:4 in the deciding set. Shan Xiaona accepted the defeat with cool composure: “It was a tough match against Baška for me because we know each other well from training. She also played really well today. I tried everything, but maybe my head was a bit tired and I wasn’t focused enough” . The winner of the tournament was surprised by her success: “A lot has changed in my life in the past six months, both in private and in table tennis. So I did not expect to win the tournament at all.”

In the men’s race, Austrian top seed Robert Gardus, who previously won the mixed competition alongside Caroline Michik against defending champion Tobias Hepler/Franziska Schreiner (Cologne/Langstadt) yesterday evening, won the final against Puerto Rican Brian Avanador. The doubles titles went to Felix Lebrun / Esteban d’Or (France) and the Croatian-Bulgarian combination Hana Arapovic / Polina Trifonova.

False positive antigen test costs Duda a title chance

For Benedict Duda, the tournament ended in the morning with an unexpected championship mission. The winner of the World Premiere Nutrient Show in December had tested positive for Covid-19 in the athletes’ daily rapid antigen tests prior to the semi-final against Afanador and was not allowed to compete as per WTT regulations. Duda was lucky and unlucky: it was a false positive, as it turned out a few hours later. A more accurate PCR test that followed the antigen test gave the negative result Duda was hoping for a few hours later: “It would have been very bitter if I had received such news in the morning! I was completely surprised by the result because I felt super fit. Of course I am very disappointed that I could not From playing for the championship victory due to these circumstances, I was in a very good mood. But there are still a lot of titles to come, and you have to see the positive side. It’s good that I came out with a PCR result, and I can now compete in the league The German tomorrow and next week in the stadium.”

2nd feeder occupied with force 2022 as of Monday at DTTZ

The second edition of the WTT Feeder in 2022 at the German Table Tennis Center, which is directly related to the tournament, is very strong. Duda himself is listed fourth in the rankings, behind world number 17 Patrick Francesca, former Dusseldorfer Omar El-Assar (Egypt) and world defender Rowen Velos, ahead of mixed European champion Dang Que. The Egyptian women’s competition is led by Dina Meshref, and the world championships for double bronze medalist Ni Chia Lien (Luxembourg) and the winner today, Barbora Palazova (Slovakia). It’s the best field so far out of the three Dusseldorf tournaments in December and January. The qualifiers will be held on Monday first, followed by three days of main rounds. Feeder II 2022 encounters are once again broadcast live on WTT’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ckyA_A3MfXUa0ttxMoIZw to follow.

Record champion Borussia Düsseldorf is organizing the WTT Feeder Series in Düsseldorf with the ITTF World Table Tennis Organizer (WTT) and the German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB) and is supported by partners Sportstadt Düsseldorf and ARAG SE.

Results on the last day (January 15):

Women’s singles final

Shan Xiona – Barbora Balazova SVK 3:4 (-11, -5,5,8, -3,11, -4)

semi-finals

Shan Xiona – Sabine Winter 4:2 (-8,-7,4,4,9,6)

Chantal Mantz – Barbora Palazova SVK 1:4 (-5, -6.9, -9, -8)

Men’s singles final

Robert Gardos AUT-Brian Afanador PUR 4:1 (9,8,7-5.9)

semi-finals

Robert Gardus AUT – Samuel Walker ENG 4:1 (9, -4,9,7,9)

Benedict Duda – Brian Avanador PUR Rating 0: 4

(Duda was not allowed to compete due to a positive Covid-19 antigen test)

Women’s doubles final

Hana Arapovich / Polina Trifonova CRO / BUL – Mattia Geiger / Ivana Malubabich CRO 3: 0 Wertung

men’s doubles final

Esteban D’Or/Felix LeBron FRA – Diogo Chen/Florian Borasaud Bor/FRA 3:1 (8, -4.9,7)

You can find all results online at www.worldtabletennis.com.

Top Eight Singles Players at Düsseldorf-Feeder II (January 17-20)

Men’s Singles

  1. Patrick Franziska, Saarbrücken / Germany, world ranking: 17
  2. Omar El-Assar, Egypt, 30
  3. Ruwen Filus, Fulda-Maberzell / Germany, 34
  4. Benedict Duda, Bergenneustadt / Germany, 43
  5. Dang Que, Dusseldorf / Germany 48
  6. Russia’s Kirill Skachkov 52
  7. Ovidiu Ionescu, Romania, 57
  8. Marcelo Aguirre, Paraguay, 58

Ladies singles

  1. Dina Mishref from Egypt 36
  2. Nie Xia Lian, Luxembourg, 40
  3. * Barbora Palazova Slovakia 52
  4. Melanie Diaz, Puerto Rico, 68
  5. Sarah de Knott, Luxembourg, 76
  6. Deborah Vivarelli from Italy 77
  7. Amelie Solga Austria 86
  8. Yousra Helmy from Egypt 89
sue