An unexpected challenge arose for fifth-seeded Dane Anders Antonsen as he faced Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon.
While Antonsen, the reigning European champion, took the first game convincingly with a 21-10 win, Filimon pushed the Dane in his Olympic debut in the second game. “He knows this is his chance to play beyond his ability and put it all on the line,”
Antonsen said to TV 2 SPORT. “He didn't play a single shot without going for the win.”
Despite being ranked 112th in the world, Filimon applied pressure in what was a thrilling second game but Antonsen managed to secure the match 21-18 in straight games. “It was perhaps actually a good thing that I got the slightly unpleasant feeling of being behind,” he stated.
Antonsen was optimistic about his start in Paris, concluding, “It's great to be up and running.”