MUSCAT, OCT 8
Hungary’s Nandor Ecseki made a perfect step towards securing a ticket to the men's singles main draw as he defeated Hamid Shams of Iran on Sunday in the opening round of the preliminary qualification at WTT Contender Muscat 2023 in the indoor hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
With the triumph, the 26-year-old will meet Noshad Alamiyan from Iran in the second round. The winner from this match will move to Round 3 which will be the last step to the main draw.
This is the third successive edition that Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) has managed to bring the high profile event to the Sultanate of Oman after two editions in the previous year. The hosting of this world class tournament showcased Oman in the world map of table tennis.
Oman’s young paddler Ahmed al Riyami produced a top show against Pau Yik Man before he lost the encounter 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-3). Al Riyami managed to bounce back strongly in the second set as he won 11-7 before losing his focus in the third and fourth set to concede the match. Pau Yik Man will take on Martin Allegro from Belgium on Monday in the second round.
The mega TT tournament in Muscat will feature matches on Monday for the preliminary qualification of women's singles competitions during morning and afternoon sessions.
Local player Badar al Jassasi received a 3-0 (2-11, 3-11, 5-11) loss against You Kwan To from Hong Kong in the first round of the men's singles. Al Jassasi worked hard to compete against the opponent, ranked 269, who managed to end the match on winning note by his vast experience.
Oman’s Asad al Raisi was defeated by Li Hon Ming from Hong Kong 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-2). The Omani runner-up of the national singles championship pressed hard in the second set but the Hong Kong player put up a top show to win the match. Li Hon will meet OH Hunsung from South Korea on Monday.
Oman’s Muhannad al Balushi will commence his campaign on Monday as he will face Huang Yan Cheng from Chinese Taipei while Mohammed al Mutawa will meet Chan Baldwin from Hong Kong.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
