Panagiotis Gionis of Greece, a predominantly backspin player with a
devastating forehand topspin, won the Men’s Singles title in the table
tennis events at the Mediterranean Games in the Italian town of Pesara
on Wednesday 1st July 2009.
The 29 year old who had shown
outstanding form at the H.I.S World Championships in Yokohama earlier
in the year maintained that form on Italian soil.
At the
quarter-final stage he overcame Turkey’s Bora Vang before ousting
Spain’s Carlos Machado in the semi-finals and 23 year old Croatian,
Andrej Gacina in the final.
Meanwhile in the latter stages Gacina had defeated Zeng Cem, also of
Turkey in the round of the last eight and Spain’s Alfredo Carneros in
the penultimate round.
Quarter-Finals
Alfredo Carneros (ESP) bt Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-7, 11-9
Andrej Gacina (HRV) bt Zeng Cem (TUR) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 10-12, 11-4
Carlos Machado (ESP) bt Adrien Mattenet (FRA) 11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5
Pangiotis Gionis (GRE) bt Bora Vang (TUR) 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6
Semi-Finals
Andrej Gacina (HRV) bt Alfredo Carneros (ESP) 11-1, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4
Panagioitis Gionis (GRE) bt Carlos Machado (ESP) 11-9, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10
Final
Panagioitis Gionis (GRE) bt Andrej Gacina (HRV) 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2, 11-6
Source: www.ittf.com
