Six gold medals for British Para table tennis team in Slovenia
Six gold medals were the highlight of a 12-medal haul won by the British Para table tennis team in the singles events at the ITTF World Para Challenger Lasko in Slovenia today. Bly Twomey (women’s class 6-7), Jack Hunter-Spivey (men’s class 4-5), Martin Perry (men’s class 6), Will Bayley (men’s class 7), Aaron McKibbin (men’s class 8) and Joshua Stacey (men’s class 9) all won their respective events while Rob Davies (men’s class 1) took silver and Megan Shackleton (women’s class 4-5), Fliss Pickard (women’s class 6-7), Grace Williams (women’s class 8), Chris Ryan (men’s class 2) and Billy Shilton (men’s class 8) all took bronze.
Women’s class 6-7
Bly Twomey began with a 3-0 win against the two-time Para PanAmerican champion from Mexico Claudia Perez and then beat World number 10 Nora Korneliussen from Norway 3-1. At 2-0, 6-1 she looked to be in control of her quarterfinal against the veteran Raisa Chebanika but the Russian class 6 former Paralympic champion is still a force to be reckoned with and she rallied to take the third set 11-9 before Twomey secured a 3-1 win.
She won her semi-final against Giselle Munoz, the World number seven and Para PanAmerican silver medallist from Argentina 3-0 for the loss of only six points which took her through to the final and a rematch of her Paris 2024 semi-final against class 7 World number two Kubra Korkut from Turkey. Twomey led 2-1 and came back from 10-8 down in the fourth to take it 13-11 and the match 3-1 after the Turkish coach had called time out with his player match point down.
"It means a lot to me to win that match,” said the Brighton teenager who turned 15 last month. “In Paris I was 2-0 up and she beat me 11-3 in the final set, so it meant so much to beat her 3-1, especially as she was 10-8 up in the fourth. I felt the nerves a bit since Paris but I think coming back here and beating such a high-level player is incredible and I’m really proud of myself. Her time out actually helped me just to focus and keep the nerves under control and meant I could play like I did.”
Class 6 Fliss Pickard produced a typically gutsy performance to beat class 7 World number 19 Pilar Gonzalez from Spain 3-1 before losing 3-1 to Smilla Sand, the class 7 World number eight from Sweden. Pickard again showed all her talent and determination in her quarterfinal against Chiu Kan Shan from Hong Kong China, beating the class 7 World number six 3-1 to progress to the semi-finals where she took on Kubra Korkut in what proved to be the match of the tournament with some incredible rallies.
Korkut edged the first set 16-14 but Pickard took the second 12-10 and then came back from 10-7 down in the fourth to take it 13-11 and level at 2-2 after Korkut had led 2-1. Pickard fought back from 9-6 down in the deciding set and had match point at 10-9 but the Paralympic silver medallist took the set 13-11 and the match 3-2.
“I can be unbelievably proud of the way I’ve played,” said Pickard, “especially the display I put on today. Over the last few weeks, I’ve really found myself and the importance of just enjoying table tennis and being with the team has made a huge difference for me. This gives me a great deal of confidence going into next week and I feel that I have just built from last week in Montenegro and all the training is starting to pay off and I’m excited to go into next week and start again. The nerves will come back but we go again and fight another day.”
Men’s class 4-5
Jack Hunter-Spivey started slowly against class 4 World number three and European champion Abdullah Ozturk but led 2-1 before the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion came back to level at 2-2 and took the deciding set 11-9. Hunter-Spivey showed all his fighting spirit against the Para PanAmerican bronze medallist Carlos Eduardo Freire De Moraes from Brazil, coming back from 1-1, 5-1 down to take the third set 11-6 and completed a 3-1 win to secure his place in the knockout stages.
He had to battle again in his quarterfinal against Filip Nachazel before beating the class 4 European silver medallist from Czechia 3-2. He dropped the first set against Kazuki Shichino the class 4 World number five from Japan but came back to win 3-1 to set up another match against Abdullah Ozturk in the final. He led 2-0 and although Ozturk reduced the deficit by taking the third set Hunter-Spivey was not to be denied and he took the fourth 11-8 for a 3-1 win.
“I’m really proud of how I’ve performed,” he said. “It is a testament to the training I’ve put in in Sheffield and having Bogdan (coach Bogdan Dekic) in the corner and Rushy (BPTT head coach Andrew Rushton) in the hall and just feeling that I’ve got the team around me so I’m thankful for the position I’m in now. When classes 4 and 5 get put together you’re putting all the best wheelchair players in the world into one big group and when it first happened, I needed to look at myself and think ‘am I going to be one of the top players?’ I’ve just played my second tournament of the year and managed to win it and I’ve proved a lot to myself so I’m just really happy. It’s my birthday on Sunday and I’ll be 30 so it’s a bit of a celebration I suppose and I’ll take it.”
Men’s class 6
Martin Perry was a 3-0 winner against the Serbian teenager Luka Vidovic and progressed to the knockout stages as group winner after a 3-0 win against the European doubles bronze medallist Alberto Seoane Alcaraz from Spain who had never lost to Perry in five previous meetings. The Scotsman received a last 16 bye into the quarterfinals and was a 3-0 winner against Nicklas Jensen from Denmark before producing one of his best performances to come back from 2-1 down to beat World number two Peter Rosenmeier, the former two-time World, Paralympic and European champion 11-6 in the deciding set.
That took him through to the final and he twice came back to level against World number five Bobi Simion from Romania before taking the deciding set 11-7 to win 3-2 and celebrate his 31st birthday in style.
“I always have my birthday here,” said Perry, “and the last couple of years I’ve put in some good performances, but this is the best one yet. To get the first win over Rosenmeier means a lot and Simion is the man in form at the moment and a win against him is always hard-fought but when it is in a final it feels really good. I’ve got a few silvers, but it’s been a while since I got that individual gold so I’m super proud and it is the best birthday present I could have asked for so I’m very happy.”
Paul Karabardak was a comfortable 3-0 winner against 16-year-old Gabriel Diez Alvarez from Spain and then lost 3-1 to Georgios Mouchthis, the former European team silver medallist from Greece. Karabardak secured his place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 win against Tomaz Rabuzin from Slovenia and came through his last 16 match against Marios Chatzikyriakos 3-1 but lost his quarterfinal to Rosenmeier 3-0.
Men’s class 7
Will Bayley began with a 3-0 win against Tong Chi Ming, the 23-year-old Asian Para Games doubles bronze medallist from Hong Kong China and secured his place in the knockout stages as group winner with a 3-0 win against last year’s US Open silver medallist Christian Scheiber from Austria. He won his quarterfinal against the Brazilian Para Open champion Paulo Fonseca 3-0 and then came through his semi-final against the improving 20-year-old Dutchman Yannick Paredis 3-1.
Bayley faced the powerful Jonas Hansson, the World number 11 from Sweden in the final and he was at his very best in a 3-0 win.
“Before the final I watched our previous matches back and I don’t know how he hasn’t beaten me to be honest,” said Bayley. “He’d been dominating me for the last couple of matches and I knew I was going to have to play my best, so I was ready for it today. I’m really proud of myself to play that well because it is not easy taking on these guys that come here with no pressure on them really to win and I’m proud of the way I stuck in there and played my best table tennis. Andrew (Rushton) said it was up there with the best I’ve ever played because he (Hansson) is that good at the moment. I respect every player and I know how dangerous he is and I knew from the first point that I needed to be at my very best.”
Theo Bishop had match points in the fourth set against the World number six Bjoern Schnake but the European bronze medallist from Germany, winner of the Paralympic World Qualification Tournament last year saved them all and went on to take the match 13-11 in the fifth with a net cord. It was a cruel way for Bishop to lose the match and he lost out in another close match to Gonzalo Rodriguez from Spain who took the deciding set 11-8 and the match 3-2 after Bishop had led 2-1.
Men’s class 8
Aaron McKibbin began with a 3-0 win against Marko Vracan from Croatia and then beat Aleksej Radukic from Serbia 3-0 to progress to the knockout stages as group winner. He was impressive in beating World number 12 Borna Zohil from Croatia 3-0 in the quarterfinal and was a 3-1 winner against World number three Clement Berthier from France in the semi-final.
He edged a tight first set in the final against Maksym Nikolenko but the World number four and Paralympic bronze medallist from Ukraine twice came back to level before McKibbin took the deciding set 11-6.
“The last few weeks in England I’ve been playing so well,” he said, “and I’m really happy with how I performed here. The group stages were a bit shaky even though I won both matches 3-0 but my quarterfinal against Borna was probably the best Para match I’ve ever played. I couldn’t make a mistake, and I think that just relaxed me. I remembered my strengths - it is hard when you are practising so much and working on your weaknesses you forget what you are good at. Nikolenko is really tough, and I lost to him here last year so I’m very happy to have won.”
Billy Shilton was a 3-0 winner against Roy Van Der Burg from Netherlands and secured top place in his group with a 3-0 win against Nicklas Westerberg, the former class 7 European bronze medallist from Sweden. He won his quarterfinal against Lam Ka Wai from Hong Kong China 3-0 but couldn’t find his best form in a 3-0 semi-final loss to Nikolenko.
“I couldn’t really find my rhythm today and he was doing a lot of things that were making it quite difficult for me,” said a disappointed Shilton. “I didn’t play my best and he played quite well so that’s not the best combination.”
Ryan Henry never recovered from a slow start in a 3-0 loss against the World number three Clement Berthier from France but beat Jean Carlos De Souza Mashki, the 20-year-old Para PanAmerican bronze medallist and doubles champion from Brazil 3-1 to secure his place in the last 16. Henry showed his character and potential by coming back to level at 2-2 against World number 18 Alejandro Diaz and fighting back from 6-3 down to take the deciding set 11-8 and progress into the quarterfinals where he lost in three close sets to Nikolenko.
Men’s class 9
Joshua Stacey was a 3-0 winner against Wong Chi Yin, the Asian Para Games bronze medallist from Hong Kong China and then beat the Ukrainian World doubles champion Ivan Mai 3-0. He secured top position in his group with a 3- 0 win against 17-year-old Ian Kim from Australia and came through his quarterfinal against Para PanAmerican champion and former Paralympic champion Tahl Leibovitz, securing a 3-1 win 12-10 in the fourth.
He led Lev Kats 2-0 in their semi-final but the World number nine and World doubles champion from Ukraine came back to level at 2-2 and led 4-1 in the deciding set before Stacey rallied to take it 11-7. That set up a rematch with Ivan Mai in the final and the Welshman was a 3-1 winner.
“I felt towards the end of the second set his head started to drop a bit,” said Stacey, “and he didn’t have quite the same focus. He missed some balls he maybe shouldn’t have and winning the second set put me in good stead and although I lost the third I rectified a few things, and I think I took my opportunities well in the fourth and managed to take the match. I think in the key moments my level is getting there – it isn’t where I want it to be but I don’t think that will ever be the case for me, being so critical of myself. Whether or not I make the ball I’m happy that I’m going for the right shot selection and that is always the most important thing for me - to commit to what I’m supposed to do and whether it pays off or not I know I’m trying to do what I do in the practice hall.”
Men’s class 1
Rob Davies was a 3-1 winner against the Russian two-time European bronze medallist Dmitrii Lavrov, winner of the Paralympic World Qualification tournament last year and made an impressive start to his second group match taking the first set against Jeong Sang Gu 11-3. However, he was made to fight by the World number 15 from the Republic of Korea before edging the second set 16-14 and completing a 3-0 win 11-9 in the third.
That secured his progress into the quarterfinals where he was a 3-0 winner against the Hungarian Adam Urlauber, silver medallist in last year’s Paralympic World Qualification Tournament. A 3-0 win against Timo Natunen, the World number 11 from Finland took him through to the final and a rematch with Jeong Sang Gu but Davies never really got going after a slow start and although he fought hard and levelled at 1-1 the Korean went on to win 3-1.
“I just didn’t get into gear to be honest,” said Davies, competing in his first tournament since taking silver in Paris. “I struggled with the conditions and just didn’t have the feeling I had in the tournament earlier on. I don’t have any excuses – he deserved to win. I feel that I’m playing better than I was in Paris, but I couldn’t put it into that match. This should give me confidence although I’m a bit gutted now but hopefully I can build on this and try and have another good tournament next week.”
Tom Matthews won his first match against Marian Kamien, the World number 20 from Slovakia 3-1 and then beat Victor Eduardo Reyes Turcio, the World number 13 and former two-time class 2 Para PanAmerican champion from Mexico 3-1. The Welshman led 2-0 and had a match point in the third set against Luca Chiarini but the Italian took the set 12-10 before Matthews won the fourth 11-4 for a 3-1 win that secured him first place in his group. He twice came back to level in his quarterfinal against Alan Papirer but the former European team silver medallist from France took the deciding set 11-6.
Men’s class 2
World number 26 Chris Ryan produced a great performance in his opening group match to beat the World number eight Federico Crosara 3-1. After losing the first set to Jan Riapos 11-9 he raced through the second 11-1 to level at 1-1 but the former World number one and two-time Paralympic champion from Slovakia used all his experience to win 3-1.
Ryan progressed to the quarterfinals as group runner-up, and he recorded his second win against a top 10 opponent in beating World number seven and Paralympic silver medallist Jiri Suchanek from Czechia 3-1. His reward was a first meeting with three-time World champion and two-time Paralympic champion Fabien Lamirault, and he acquitted himself with great credit, taking the second set 11-8 to level at 1-1 before the World number two from France secured a 3-1 win.
“I think it is about the belief for me,” said Ryan, who has made rapid headway since his international debut two years ago. “I suppose I’ve made a mental breakthrough in the sense that I knew I was improving - it was just a case of when are those big wins going to come. Prior to this week I didn’t have a top 10 win, and I felt comfortable out there. I really wanted a game with Lamirault as I want to feel how the best players play and how good they are because that is where I want to be.”
Women’s class 4-5
Megan Shackleton came through in three close sets against Lisa Di Toro, the former Oceania Para champion from Australia and then produced a great performance against Caroline Tabib to fight back from 2-1 down and beat the class 5 World number six and former World bronze medallist from Israel 3-2, 11-9 in the fifth. Shackleton progressed to the knockout stages as group winner after a 3-0 win against 17-year-old class 4 Martina Sande from Spain.
She twice came back to level in beating Flora Vautier, the class 4 World number 10 from France 3-2 in the quarterfinal and produced another fighting performance in the semi-final against Bhavina Patel, levelling at 2-2 against the class 4 World number one from India before losing the deciding set 11-8.
“I’m really happy with how I’ve been doing here,” said Shackleton, “especially on the first day when I didn’t feel my best, but I managed to grind my way through it and I think that helped build my confidence for the rest of the matches. Disappointing not to win today but it is definitely an improvement since last time we played, and I felt like I played some top-class stuff. I just need to keep going and reset for the Elite tournament next week.”
Women’s class 8
Grace Williams started well against World number four Sophia Kelmer, taking the first set 11-6 but the 17-year-old World bronze medallist came back to take the match 3-1. She fought back well from 2-1 down to level at 2-2 against teenager Freja Larsen, saving match points at 10-8 down to edge the fourth 12-10 and then taking the deciding set 11-6 to beat last year’s French Para Open champion 3-2. She took the first set of her semi-final against 18-year-old Olaia Martinez from Spain but lost the match 3-1.
“I’m not in the form I want to be in and that’s OK,” said Williams. “I’m only five months back from injury and I felt I’ve played alright. The things I’ve been working on in the training hall are proving to be a good thing because working on serve and receive in the hall is helping here. I’m just going to keep trying my best and see where it takes me.”
The tournament continues with the doubles events that conclude on Saturday.