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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Keinath upsets Allegro to keep hopes alive

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MUSCAT, MARCH 20 - World No 669 Slovakia’s Thomas Keinath caused a major upset by beating World No 109 Belgium’s Martin Allegro to keep his hopes of main draw qualification very much alive at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open in Muscat on Wednesday.


The 41-year-old Keinath prevailed over Allegro, the second highest rated player on early round, in his opening contest by 11-9, 16-14, 6-11, 11-13, 12-10.


Also in the men’s singles group stage, there was disappointment for the Sultanate duo as Muhannad al Balushi and Al Julanda al Kharusi failed to go past their higher-ranked opponents on the opening day. Muhannad al Balushi lost out to India’s Manav Vikash Thakkar 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 and Egypt’s Khalid Assar 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 accounted for Al Julanda al Kharusi.


India’s Harmeet Desai, Egypt’s Mohamed El Beiali and Pavel Platonov of Belarus all confirmed their first place in their respective groups after they remained unbeaten.


There was a close call for Mohamed El Beiali as he needed the full five games to beat Slovakia’s Samuel Kaluzny 6-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8. Pavel Platonov, the highest rated on initial phase action, beat Iran’s Amir Hossein Hodaei 11-4, 11-5, 11-6; Harmeet Desai, the third highest listed, accounted for Saudia Arabia’s Naif al Jadai 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.


Leading names depart


In under-21 men’s singles group stage, top three names all experienced defeat and thus hopes of qualifying for the main draw ended. Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab lost to Russia’s Aleksandr Tuitriumov 11-4, 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, while compatriot Abdulraham al Naggar suffered at the hands of Canada’s Jeremy Hazin 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8.


Similarly, the highest rated player on first phase duty also bid farewell; India’s Siddesh Pande was beaten by Singapore’s Joshua Chua 11-7, 11-4, 11-8. Abdulwahhab later turned around his luck in the men’s singles group stage with the Qatari athlete claiming a superb 3-0 win against Egypt’s Ahmed Sharafeldin 11-9, 11-9, 11-7.


In the same category, Ecuador’s Alberto Mino couldn’t have asked for a better start after he began his campaign with an impressive straight games win at Korea Republic’s Kim Byunghyeon’s expense 11-5, 11-9, 11-6.


Shcherbatykh fights back


In the women’s singles group stage, Russia’s Valeria Shcherbatykh took a little while to find her footing in her meeting with India’s Naina but once she found her rhythm there was only one winner 8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-2.


Later, Kazakhstan met Singapore in three exciting women’s singles group stage encounters with the former of the two nations emerging the happier in the head-to-head contest.


Anastassiya Lavrova and Zauresh Akasheva accounted for Eunice Lim 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 and Goi Rui Xuan 11-5, 11-6, 13-11 to hand Kazakhstan two victories to celebrate but there was a reverse outcome to note with Singapore’s Tan En Hui getting the better of Gulchekhra Khusseinova (9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 11-8).


The Under 21 Women’s Singles group stage is off to a dramatic start in Muscat with three fixtures being decided by full distance score-lines.


Trailing by a two games to one deficit India’s Archana Girish Kamath prevailed over Iran’s Parinaz Hajilou by the narrowest of margins 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, but there was success for another Iranian in action as Mahshid Ashtari beat Egypt’s Sarah Abousetta 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9. Nadezhda Bogdanova of Belarus surely achieved the finest comeback, fighting back from 0-2 down to defeat India’s Pranitha Garlapati 3-2 (7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9).


SINGAPORE SHINE


In under-21 men’s singles, it was Singapore who made an impressive start with victories for three of the country’s players: Ethan Poh Shao Feng and Lucas Tan proved too strong for Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab (11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-2) and Abdulrahman al Naggar (11-2, 11-8, 11-8) while Pang Yew En Koen needed just three games to see off India’s Mudit Dani (11-7, 11-5, 11-7).


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