Spanish Open 2013

Photo By: Zhang Yong

Photo By: Zhang Yong

In less than 10 days now, the 17th year of Pro-Tour will begin with the Open of Spain. In the city of Almeria, this will be primarily the European continent players who will be faced with for best foreign to European nations: Brazil and Hong Kong since China will not move but will still be presented to the Austria Open where will gather the best players and players of the world!

Gentlemen, the player at home, but Asian, He Zhiwen, who will celebrate his 51ans on May 31, is top-seeded number 1 before a Belgian who is always at the top level even more than 20 years after its first month ranked world number, Jean-Michel Saive part number 2 of this tournament. In third position, another player at home, Carlos Machado just before the Brazilian Cazuo Matsumoto and Russian Alexey Liventsov, respectively heads of series number 4 and 5. In 6th place, Thiago Monteiro, whose interview is to read on our site, then the 4 players completing the top ten in the order, Christophe Legoût, Gustavo Tsuboi, Omar Assar and Wong Chun Tin.

For women now, an another Asian Player will play at home, Shen Yanfei, world number 8 and seeded No. 1. Followed by the Swedish Matilda Ekholm, Jiang Huajun part number 2. Young Hong Kong Lee Ho Ching, is number 4 pursued by Sara Ramirez, currently in its rankings. Here are the rest of the top 10 player: Ng Wing Nam, the Danish Mi Skov, Dana Cechova, Yana Nosková and Galia Dvorak.

Junior boys, the France will be very present with not less than 7 players in the top 10 and with Romain Lorentz, which you can also read the interview here, as head of series 1.

Junior girls, a player already built part number 1, it's Lee Ho Ching followed by teammate Ng Wing Nam and the Russian Yana Nosková. In this table, many player of the champion family will be present with: Marlene Appelgren, Laura Ramirez and Michaela Karlsson.

I also was able to contact a few top series who have given me their ambitions in this competition:  

Matilda Ekholm 
My goal in Almeria is to enjoy playing and hopefully perform well. If I do that, I have chances to win.  

Romain Lorentz 
My goal is to win U-21 because I'm seeded No. 1 won't be easy because there are a lot of French! In the senior draw I'll try to go as far as possible trying to make the performance to progress in the global standings.  

Andre Da Silva 
the first and great goals is pass the group, thus qualifying me for the main draw. I hope to play the best possible table tennis and win every game waiting to get as far as possible.

Thiago Monteiro 
I hope to advance as much as I can.

Caroline Kumahara 
I'll give my best in all matches, I want to do everything or almost everything that I'm doing in practices sessions.  

Lee Ho Ching 
I hope that I can enter in semi-final.
Abdel-Kader Salidou
My goals in Spain are to enter the last four. I think it is possible because the competition is very homogeneous. So that is my goal, but first and foremost need to beat opponents that are not very far from my level of play.