General

Knoblauch focused on the prize. Image: Mark Phelan (Live in Rodez)
Knoblauch into 3 semi finals
Date: 11/3/2018 8:24 AM
Published by : Bobby Griffin (BEC)

Quarter finals day in Rodez, and as always the shock upsets are as exciting as the top seeds moving forwards.



Headlining the show today was Germany’s Valeska Knoblauch who made her way through to all 3 semi-finals tomorrow in the Rodez Amphitheatre. 


Top seed in the WH1-2 women’s doubles with teammate Elke Rongen, the pair haven’t been taken to double figures in any game all week thus far. Tomorrow they’re up against the number 2 seeds, Swiss Karin Suter-Erath and Cynthia Mathez. 


In the WH1-2 mixed doubles, Knoblauch and partner Young-Chin Mi have been almost as efficient so far this week and through to face Konstantin Afinogenov (RUS) and Emine Seckin (TUR) in tomorrow’s semi-final.


Valeska’s toughest test might be in the WH1 women’s singles if she is able to get past Austrian Henriett Koosz tomorrow to reach Sunday’s final. Today she beat the ¾ seed Israeli Nina Gorodetzky in the quarter final 21-18, 21-14.


WATCH: Valeska Knoblauch interview from Rodez here





Seeds fall as Underdogs blossom



Germany’s Tim Haller came up against the 3/4 seeded Russian Pavel Kulikov in the SL4 men’s singles today. Haller’s gritty comeback to take the third game 21-14 sees him take a place in the semi-finals, to face the World Champion and home crowd favourite, Lucas Mazur.


In somewhat controversial circumstances, an all-England SS6 men’s singles draw saw third seed Isaak Dalglish come up against Andrew Martin today, after the two men had played each other in the group stages. Dalglish beat Martin in group C in straight games 21-19, 21-19 but today struggled to keep his nerves subdued with Martin taking the match 21-12 in the third end.


VIEW: Photo gallery from day 3 here


“I knew it was going to be tough, he’d beaten me in the group so I needed a new game plan. I managed to find a new gear and push the level, and he started to struggle in the third set.


My experience showed today. Especially when things got tight going into the third, I knew I’d been in this situation many times before and I handled the pressure well.


We played each other in the group, and my understanding is we could not face each other again until a potential latter stage. I even apologised to him as we shook hands. I feel for him, as this takes something away from his victory over me earlier in the week. But the draw is the draw, and we must be professional and play the game”


A final word for Oleksandr Chyrkov (pictured above in action in Rodez) who beat 5/6 seeded Spaniard Simon Cruz yesterday in the SL3 men’s singles. His campaign continues, as today he went on to beat Scotland’s former World Silver Medallist Alan Oliver, before then facing Colin Leslie the 3/4 seed whom he dispatched in straight games 21-9, 21-19 to set up a semi-final tomorrow against Pascal Volter (GER)



For draws, matches and last year’s winners, see tournament software here with this link.

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