Experience told in the opening matches in the qualification stage of
the Women’s Singles event at the German Open in Bremen on the morning
of Thursday 19th March 2009.
The top eight world ranked players
on duty all posted a brace of wins and younger aspirants found the
wisdom of extensive international play too great an obstacle to
overcome. However, it was not all plain sailing for the favourites with
Hungary’s Petra Lovas, the highest world ranked player in action being
the one member of the elite to experience the most testing examinations.
Relieved Hungarian
She
succeeded but it was a mightily relieved Hungarian who departed the
arena; Ukraine’s Anastasya Koltsova extended her to six games whilst
Alexandra Privalova went one game better, her contest with Lovas went
the full seven games distance.
Privalova is very much the lady
in waiting; in the current Belarus women’s team line up she ranks
fourth behind the Pavolvich sisters and Tatiana Kostromina, trying to
secure a place in what is now a line up of great experience is no easy
task.
Swede Too Powerful
Similarly,
the powerful Matilda Ekholm of Sweden faced opponents climbing the
international ladder; she defeated Poland’s Natalia Bak and Germany’s
Petrissa Solja.
The Swede overcame both in five games.
Gaining Experience
Natalia
Bak excelled on the ITTF Junior Circuit, her career at that level
concluding in 2007 whilst Petrissa Solja is much younger and her
appearance at the German Open is very much one of gaining experience.
She currently stands at no.3 on the ITTF Under 15 Girls’ Ranking list.
Same Story
Defeat
for a young player against more seasoned opposition and it was the same
for France’s Audrey Mattenet and Christelle Durand, Germany’s Rosalia
Stähr, Swden’s Malin Pettersson and Alena Dubkova of Belarus.
All
are players who have enjoyed success in events that form the ITTF
Global Junior Programme and now seek to make the next step to assert
themselves in the senior ranks. It can be the most difficult step of
all.
Czechs Halt Aspirations
Audrey
Mattenet was beaten in six games by another player who enjoyed an
illustrious junior career, she lost to the Czech Republic’s former
European Youth champion, Iveta Vacenovska who in addition to her
success against Mattenet, defeated Turkey’s Fulya Ozler to finish in
first place in the group.
Iveta Vacenovska is the fourth highest world ranked player in action in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event.
Suffering
Meanwhile,
Malin Pettersson and Christelle Durand both suffered at the hands
Renata Strbikova also from of the Czech Republic; the former is six
games, the latter in straight games. The seventh highest world ranked
player in action just being that bit too good when it really counted.
It
was the same story when the younger generation faced Russia’s Oksana
Fadeeva, the no.6 highest rated on duty and Germany’s Kristin
Silbereisen, the eighth in line.
Germany’s Rosalia Stähr was
beaten in straight games by Fadeeva who also accounted for the Czech
Republic’s Hana Bartosova whilst Alena Dubkova of Belarus found
Silbereisen in unrepentant mood; Silbereisen finished as the group
winner, in addition to Dubkova she defeated Ireland’s Liu Na.
Exception Proves the Rule
However, as always there is the exception that proves the rule.
Italy’s
Wu Yang used her defensive skills to great effect to beat older
adversaries, in four games she defeated Belgium’s Karen Opdencamp and
in straight games Turkey’s Meral Ildiz Ali.
Wu Yang was the third highest world ranked player in action in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event.
Source: www.ittf.com
