Table tennis of international level
Every year the Monegasque Table Tennis Federation (FMTT), presided by Marc Loulergue, organizes the Monaco Championship to designate the winner in each category, as part of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) requirements. After the preliminaries open to all the Monaco Federation licensed players, the finals took place on Friday, June 3, 2016 in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II, who came to encourage the teams joining other dignitaries and an enthusiastic public.
The event debuted with the competing juniors: Gobinath Rasanayagam, a Monegasque pure product, and Lorenzo Cortese, Italian international player evolving at the AS Monaco Table Tennis association during several seasons. The unbalanced experience of the two players gave a sound victory to Lorenzo in 3 sets 11-01 / 11-09 / 11-07, in spite of the efforts by Gobinath.
The program followed with the two men’s Seniors semi-finals opposing the National 1 AS Monaco Table Tennis team fellow members. Anthony Geminiani (French No.99 won in 4 sets over Oriol Monzo-Montero from Spain (French No.117, Spain No.5), 11-03 / 12-14 / 11/07 / 11-09.
The other semi final opposed the two finalists from the previous year, Damien Provost (French No.79), and Anthony Peretti (French No.107) who know each other by heart so the fight was fierce for the pleasure of the public. In the end it was Provost claimed victory in 5 sets: 11-09 / 11/-13 / 12-10 / 06-11 / 11-07.
Before the men’s finals, 9-year-old Jeanne Fache, regional and communal champion in her age category, participated in an exhibition with the two women’s finalists.
Lauren Riley already officially forfeit before the debut of the event we learned that Ulrika Quist could not hold her place in the women’s semis, so the final match took place instead between Xiaoxin Yang (World No. 55, French No.3), versus Agnes Le Lannic (French No.38). Club teammates in France they are Europe Champions with Lys Lez Lannois and French Doubles Champions. Therefore the match opposed two players that had no secrets between each other. The different styles of play, with Agnes in defensive position placed at four metters of the table and the strong attacker Xiao provoked the admiration of the spectators, with some of them discovering the excitement of an international level table tennis match. It was Yang who kept the crown and a 4th successive champion title in Monaco, by winning in 5 sets: 08-11 / 11-07 / 10-12 / 14-12 / 11-07.
The men’s final confirmed what we saw in the semis, with Damien Provost determined to recover his title by beating Anthony Geminiani in 3 straight sets: 11-06 / 12-10 / 11-07. Unfortunately, this victory also marked the depart of Damien Provost from the AS Monaco Tennis Table due to the club’s financial concerns that obliged them to make difficult choices. Provost gave a touching message of thanks to the club after receiving the main trophy from the hands of HSH Prince Albert II.
Today’s Quote
’If you want to win in Table Tennis you must hit every ball with a purpose’ Daniel Ives
Monaco Reporter 