Eleven British players competing for singles medals in Greek Open

Rob Davies (men’s class 1), Jack Hunter-Spivey (men’s class 5), Simon Heaps (men’s class 5), Martin Perry (men’s class 6), Joshua Stacey (men’s class 9), Sue Bailey (women’s class 3-5), Megan Shackleton (women’s class 3-5) and Fliss Pickard (women’s class 6-7) are all through to the semi-finals of their respective singles events in the Greek Para Open while Aaron McKibbin, Billy Shilton and Ryan Henry are through to the quarterfinals of men’s class 8.

Men’s class 1

Rob Davies was a 3-0 winner against Jehan Madan from India and then lost in four close sets to the Korean World number eight Park Sung Joo, gold medallist in the Thailand Open. He secured his place in the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Hassan Ibrahim from Kuwait and will play Endre Major from Hungary tomorrow for a place in the final.

Men’s class 4

Lee York lost 3-0 to Tokyo team bronze medallist Peter Mihalik from Slovakia but then came through a great battle against Mustafa Yuseinov 11-6 in the fifth after the Bulgarian had twice levelled the match. He did not progress after a 3-1 loss to Yayang Gunaya, the Asian Championships team bronze medallist from Indonesia.

Men’s class 5

Jack Hunter-Spivey topped his group after 3-0 wins against 19-year-old Fahad Abdullah from Kuwait and the Copa Christina Hoffman bronze medallist Gerardus Van Grunsven from Netherlands. He received a bye into the semi-finals tomorrow.

In Group 2 Simon Heaps led Bart Brands 2-1 but the Belgian silver medallist in Egypt and Finland this season eventually took the match 11-9 in the fifth. Heaps, who is self-funding, went through to the quarterfinals after a 3-2 win against 18-year-old Carlos Freire de Moraes from Brazil and will play Hunter-Spivey in the semi-finals after a 3-0 win against Sem Roelofs from the Netherlands.

Scott Robertson, who is also self-funding, lost 3-0 to Toru Nakamoto from Japan, the bronze medallist in France and Thailand this season, and did not progress after a 3-2 loss to Roelofs.

Men’s class 6

Martin Perry was a comfortable 3-0 winner against Joao Cardoso from Portugal but a 3-0 loss to Matteo Parenzan from Italy, the 19-year-old World number five and gold medallist in Spain and Slovenia this season, left him needing to win his final group match to progress. A 3-0 win against Eleftherios Mavris from Greece, the Al-Watani Championships silver medallist, secured his place in the semi-finals tomorrow where he will play Esteban Herrault from France.

Men’s class 7

Theo Bishop lost 3-2 to former Asian Championships bronze medallist Chen Silu from Hong Kong China after twice levelling the match. He then beat 28-year-old Azamat Orazbek from Kazakhstan 3-0 but did not progress after a 3-1 loss to the very experienced Ben Despineux, the two-time European team champion from Belgium.

Men’s class 8

Aaron McKibbin won 3-1 against Borna Zohil, the 16-year-old from Croatia who was the silver medallist in Montenegro earlier this season, and secured his place in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win against 21-year-old Roy Van der Burg from Netherlands. He will play Lam Ka Wai from Hong Kong China, silver medallist in the Finland Open.

Billy Shilton also went through to the quarterfinals after a 3-0 win against Abdul Abdullah from Indonesia and a 3-1 win against Lam Ka Wai. He plays the Rio 2016 Paralympic silver medallist from Hungary Andras Csonka.

Ryan Henry lost his first match 3-0 to World number five and Paralympic team bronze medallist Clement Berthier from France but progressed from his group in second place after a 3-0 win against Leonardo Aritonang from Indonesia and will play the Belgian Marc Ledoux in the quarterfinals.

Men’s class 9

Joshua Stacey began with a 3-0 win against former Asian Championships team medallist Talgat Erekeyev from Kazakhstan and secured top place in his group and a bye into the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against David Pulpan from Czech Republic, the silver medallist in France and Czech Republic last year. He plays Kusnanto Kusnanto from Indonesia.

Men’s class 10

On his international debut Maximillian Flint lost 3-0 to Alexandros Diakoumakos from Greece, the Egypt Open silver medallist, 3-1 to Jan Michal from Czech Republic and 3-0 to David Jacobs from Indonesia, the World number two and Tokyo bronze medallist.

Competing in his first international tournament since 2019 Jack Stockdale was beaten 3-1 by Komet Akbar from Indonesia, the Asian champion and World number 12, 3-1 by 16-year-old Gabriel De Oliveira Antunes from Brazil and 3-0 by PanAmerican bronze medallist Manuel Echaveguren Farias from Chile.

Women’s class 3-5

In her first tournament since the Paralympic Games in Tokyo last September Megan Shackleton beat 17-year-old Flora Vautier from France in three deuce sets and progressed to the semi-finals as group winner with a 3-0 win against Tarsilem Tarsilem from Indonesia, the 2018 Indonesian Open gold medallist. She plays World number 10 Zorica Popadic from Serbia.

Sue Bailey was a 3-0 winner of her three group matches against Spomenka Habetinkova Tomic from Czech Republic, bronze medallist in the Czech Open last year, Osrita Muslim from Indonesia, silver medallist in the 2018 Indonesian Open, and Ghaliah Alanasi from Saudi Arabia. She will play Alexandra Saint-Pierre from France in the semi-finals after a 3-1 win against Vautier in the quarterfinals.

Women’s class 6-7

Fliss Pickard came through her group with 3-0 wins against Eirini Drakonaki from Greece and Vaishnavi Sutar from Indonesia and will play Camelia Ciripan from Romania in the semi-finals tomorrow.

Women’s class 8

Grace Williams lost 3-0 to Zsofia Arloy from Hungary, the World number five and three-time European medallist, and 3-0 to Lucie Hautiere from France, the Finland Open silver medallist and World number nine.