Bayley and McKibbin take singles gold again in USA
Will Bayley and Aaron McKibbin followed up their wins in the ITTF World Para Challenger Spokane last week by taking gold in the men’s class 7 and men’s class 8 singles respectively at the ITTF World Para Elite Spokane in Washington State, USA. Joshua Stacey (men’s class 9) and Fliss Pickard (women’s class 6) took silver and there were also bronze medals for Paul Karabardak (men’s class 6) and Bly Twomey (women’s class 7).
Men’s class 7
Will Bayley began with a 3-0 win against Paulo Salmin, the former five-time Para Pan American champion and World bronze medallist from Brazil and was then a 3-0 winner against Matthew Britz, the Oceania Para champion from New Zealand. He secured top position in his group with a 3-0 win against Christian Scheiber from Austria and progressed to the final with a 3-1 win against world number eight Claudio Bahamondes, the Para Pan American silver medallist from Chile.
That set up a repeat of last week’s Challenger final against Keli Liao, the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic bronze medallist from China. Bayley was quick out of the blocks taking the first set 11-6 and raced into a 7-1 lead in the second before taking it 11-6. At 4-2 down in the third set Liao took a time out but it made no difference and Bayley took the set 11-5 to complete an impressive 3-0 win.
“Very happy with that,” said Bayley. “Keli is a world class player, and he’s had a really good few tournaments so I’m pleased to win. I felt very sharp and did all the basics well – I think it was one of my best performances of the season and I was very happy to win more points on receive than I did on my own serve. To win two tournaments here back-to-back, I’m proud of that.”
Men’s class 8
Aaron McKibbin came through his group with 3-0 wins against 18-year-old American Cole Rothenberger and Luiz Filipe Guarnieri Manara, the four-time Para Pan American champion from Brazil who had taken McKibbin to five sets in the final of the Challenger event. As number one seed he received a quarterfinal bye and won his semi-final against 17-year-old Yehonatan Levi from Israel 3-1 to progress to the final where he faced world number nine Hayuma Abe, the Para Asian Championships bronze medallist from Japan.
McKibbin took the first set 11-9 after Abe had come back from 7-3 down to level at 9-9 and then recovered from 4-0 down to take the second set 11-8. Abe led 5-2 in the third, but McKibbin came back to lead 9-5 before clinching the set 11-8 and the match 3-0 with his third match point.
“I’m very happy to win,” said McKibbin. “I think it was actually a godsend having such tight matches in the Challenger because it really showed me that I needed to up my level. It gave me a little kick up the backside and I played much better in the Elite. I was more free and more intense and I was really happy to play Manara again because it proved that I had a bit more in the tank and I won that match 3-0 which was really good. Abe is a tricky customer and it’s always a tight match when I play him. I quite like playing his style, but it was a final and he’s been playing really well so I’m really happy with the performance.
“I can go back to the UK now and we’ve got a few weeks before France which will be the final tournament before the World Championships. I’m really looking forward to the Worlds and I just want to get a good training block in leading up to it and arrive there fully fit and I believe that with the season I’ve had I’m amongst the best players in the world.”
Men’s class 9
Joshua Stacey lost only 10 points in a 3-0 win against Hsieh Tsung Ying from Chinese Taipei, the silver medallist in the 2024 World Abilitysport Youth Games and followed that with a 3-0 win against former World bronze medallist Koyo Iwabuchi, the world number six from Japan. The Welshman progressed to the knockout stages as group winner with a 3-0 win against Logan Watson, the Para Pan American bronze medallist from the USA and won his semi-final against Tahl Leibovitz, the 13-time Para Pan American champion and 1996 class 7 Paralympic champion from the USA, 3-1.
In the final he faced multiple World, Paralympic and European champion Laurens Devos, unbeaten in men’s class 9 since 2015. The Belgian world number one led 9-3 in the first set before taking it 11-8 but Stacey fought back to edge a tight second set 14-12 and level at 1-1. Devos took the third 11-8 and although Stacey saved two match points at 10-8 down in the fourth, he could not save a third and Devos took the set 12-10 to win 3-1.
“Another close match against Devos,” said Stacey. “Some positives to take and things to work on as usual. It’s been a good couple of weeks, winning gold in the Challenger and the doubles with Aaron as well. I’m looking forward to getting back in the practice hall and trying to work on some things in the lead up to the Worlds and try and turn that result in my favour.”
Women’s class 6 RR
Fliss Pickard lost a tight first set to Cajsa Stadler 13-11 but took the second 11-8 to level at 1-1. She led 6-2 in the third before the European bronze medallist from Sweden won six consecutive points to lead 8-6 but Pickard regained the momentum to take the set 11-8 and completed a 3-1 win, 11-8 in the fourth. She recovered from losing the first set to beat world number seven Jin Yucheng, the 17-year-old Para Asian champion from China 3-1 and lost her final round-robin match to 18-year-old Liu Xiaowu, the world number five from China, 3-0.
“It’s been a positive two weeks out here for me,” said Pickard, who also took silver in last week’s Challenger event. “I’m very hungry to get back to the training hall to work on certain things and push on from here.”
Men’s class 6
Paul Karabardak twice came back to level against Ignacio Torres and although he kept fighting the world number one from Chile, gold medallist in the ITTF World Para Elite Lasko in Slovenia in May, took the deciding set 11-7 to win 3-2. Karabardak had lost his last three matches against teenager Samuel Altshuler, and he saved set points before taking the first set 13-11 and then clinched a tight second set 11-9. The American world number eight raced through the third set 11-3 and took the fourth 11-8 to level at 2-2 but Karabardak was not to be denied, and he took control of the deciding set to take it 11-5 and progress to the semi-finals.
After a slow start against world number three Bobi Simion, Karabardak took the second set to level at 1-1 but the former European silver medallist from Romania just had the edge and took the third 11-7 and the fourth 11-8 to win 3-1.
“I’m really pleased with bronze in a tough Elite tournament,” said Karabardak. “I played well against Torres and was disappointed to lose so close, but he played well in the fifth set and was a bit more consistent. Very happy to beat Altshuler as he’s really improved and I’ve lost the last three times to him close, but I made a good start in the fifth and had a bit of luck which helped. Bobi is really tough for me with his awkward style of play, but I felt I played well and returned his serves better than I did in the Challenger last week – he moved and attacked the ball a bit better than me which made the difference. Overall, it’s been two difficult competitions, so I’m pleased with two singles medals, especially in the Elite.”
Women’s class 7
Bly Twomey secured her place in the semi-finals as group winner with a 3-0 win against Josie Jackson from the USA and a 3-1 win against world number eight Aline Meneses Ferreira, the Para Pan American silver medallist from Brazil. Having beaten Jiang Shan last week, it was the Chinese athlete who proved the stronger this time, winning in three close sets.
“It was always going to be a tough match for me,” said Twomey, “and I think I played some decent table tennis. The Chinese in general are great players, and I think she got the best of me in this match. I’m really happy to get another medal here but also disappointed as I really wanted to have another chance to play Lacerda (Brazilian world number one Lethicia Lacerda).”
Women’s class 8-9
Lowri Hurd twice came back to level against the class 8 world number five Mingyu Zu, and took the deciding set 11-6 to win 3-2, having lost 3-1 to the American last week. Hurd also lost 3-1 last week to the class 9 world number five Danielle Rauen but it was a lot closer this time as having lost the first set 11-9 Hurd edged the second 12-10 and then played superbly to take the third 11-6. The Para Pan American champion from Brazil took a close fourth set 11-9 to level at 2-2 and then used her experience to take the deciding set 11-7.
Hurd underlined her potential again in her final group match despite losing to class 9 world number two Mao Jingdian. The 18-year-old took a close first set 11-9 and fought back from 6-3 down to lead 9-6 in the second before the three-time former class 8 Paralympic champion from China edged it 14-12 and went on to take the match 3-1.