Top Seeds Overcome Early Obstacles In European Championships In Austria

The top seeds safely came through their first tests on the opening day of qualifying action in the 34th European Team Championships at the Wellness Park Oberlaa in Vienna, Austria.

But the English and Welsh men's number ones were fully stretched in marathon encounters against lower-ranked opponents. James Willstrop, who led defending champions and top seeds England, was taken to five games by John White before beating the Scot 5-9, 9-4, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 in 79 minutes as the favourites triumphed 4/0 over the fifth seeds in Pool A.

In the other tie in Pool A, Welshman Alex Gough had to battle for 95 minutes against Borja Golan before defeating the Spaniard 9-1, 0-9, 9-6, 9-0 in fourth seeds Wales' 3/1 victory over Spain, the eighth seeds.

Second seeds France, runners-up to England for the past six years, beat sixth seeds Sweden 4/0 - with second string Renan Lavigne the only player to be taken to more than three games before winning 6-9, 9-2, 4-9, 9-1, 9-0 against Christian Drakenberg.

There was an early surprise in the women's event when third seeds Ireland went down 2/1 to Denmark, the seventh seeds, in Pool B. Laura Mylotte, the new number one in the absence of the injured world No6 Madeline Perry, was Ireland's only winner, beating the Danish top string Line Hansen 9-1, 9-4, 4-9, 9-6.

Also in Pool B, last year's runners-up Netherlands comfortably beat sixth seeds Germany 3/0 while favourites England, seeking their 29th successive title in the event, coasted to a 3/0 win over fifth seeds France in Pool A.

Men's 1st qualifying rounds - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [5] SCOTLAND 4-0
James Willstrop bt John White 5-9, 9-4, 5-9, 10-8, 9-5 (79m)
Nick Matthew bt Stuart Crawford 9-1, 2-9, 9-0, 9-2
Lee Beachill bt Harry Leitch 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Peter Barker bt Alan Clyne 9-0, 9-0, 9-1
[4] WALES bt [8] SPAIN 3-1
Alex Gough bt Borja Golan 9-1, 0-9, 9-6, 9-0 (95m)
Gavin Jones bt Alejandro Garbi Caro 10-8, 9-0, 9-1
David Evans bt David Vidal 9-3, 9-3, 9-2
Ricky Davies lost to Albert Codina 1-9, 10-9, 7-9, 9-6, 8-10
Pool B:
[2] FRANCE bt [6] SWEDEN 4-0
Thierry Lincou bt Badr Abdel Aziz 10-8, 9-2, 9-0
Renan Lavigne bt Christian Drakenberg 6-9, 9-2, 4-9, 9-1, 9-0
Laurent Elriani bt Rasmus Hult 9-0, 9-1, 10-8
Julien Balbo bt Sebastian Victor 9-3, 9-1, 9-1
[3] NETHERLANDS bt [7] GERMANY 3-1
Laurens Jan Anjema bt Simon Rosner 9-2, 9-0, 9-3
Tommy Berden bt Simon Baker 10-8, 9-1, 9-1
Dylan Bennett lost to Stefan Leifels 3-9, 7-9, 9-3, 3-9
Lucas Buit w/o
Pool C:
[9] FINLAND bt [17] AUSTRIA 3-1
Olli Tuominen bt Leopold Czaska 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Matias Tuomi lost to Gerhard Schedlbauer 4-9, 9-4, 9-7, 0-9, 8-10
Erno Teitti bt Aqeel Rehman 9-2, 5-9, 9-7, 9-0
Juha Raumolin bt Wolfgang Rothbacher 9-1, 9-4, 9-3
[16] ISRAEL bt [24] GIBRALTAR 4-0
Nadav Wilensky bt Anthony Brindle 9-1, 9-0, 9-5
Tomer Noach bt Stephen Shacaluga 9-1, 9-4, 9-3
Nir Arkin bt Christian Navas 9-4, 9-1, 9-0
Nadav Tannen bt Nicholas de Haro 9-3, 9-3, 9-1
[17] AUSTRIA bt [16] ISRAEL 4-0
Leopold Czaska bt Ron Levy 9-1, 9-6, 7-9, 9-5
Gerhard Schedlbauer bt Nadav Wilensky 5-9, 9-2, 9-4, 8-1 ret.
Aqeel Rehman bt Tomer Noach 9-2, 9-8, 9-1
Wolfgang Rothbacher bt Nir Arkin 9-1, 9-1, 9-0
[9] FINLAND bt [24] GIBRALTAR 4-0
Olli Tuominen bt Anthony Brindle 9-1, 9-1, 9-1
Matias Tuomi bt Stephen Shacaluga 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Juha Raumolin bt Christian Navas 9-2, 9-1, 9-0
Tatu Murronmaa bt Carl Gomez 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Pool D:
[10] IRELAND bt [18] ITALY 4-0
Liam Kenny bt Simone Rocca 9-5, 9-4, 9-4
Derek Ryan bt Andrea Capella 9-3, 9-0, 2-9, 9-7
Angus Kirkland bt Andrea Torricini 9-3, 9-5, 2-9, 9-4
Arthur Gaskin bt Matteo Vaccari 9-4, 9-2, 9-1
[15] BELGIUM bt [23] ISLE OF MAN 4-0
Steve Dries bt David Norman 9-2, 9-4, 9-6
Wim van Asten bt Kevin Watterson 9-0, 9-0, 9-1
Gregory Lecerf bt Richard Corlett 9-1, 9-1, 9-2
Dave de Beule bt Robert Smith 9-0, 9-2, 9-0
[10] IRELAND bt [23] ISLE OF MAN 4-0
Liam Kenny bt David Norman 9-5, 9-2, 9-3
Derek Ryan bt Robert Smith 9-0, 9-2, 9-0
John Rooney bt Lyndon Cheetham 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Arthur Gaskin bt Alister Crossley 9-2, 9-3, 9-0
[15] BELGIUM 2 [18] ITALY 2
Steve Dries lost to Simone Rocca 9-7, 6-9, 6-9, 1-9
Wim van Asten lost to Andrea Capella 9-0, 6-9, 1-9, 7-9
Rik Smet bt Andrea Torricini 9-6, 9-3, 9-7
Dave de Beule bt Matteo Vaccari 9-7, 9-3, 9-0
Pool E:
[11] DENMARK bt [19] UKRAINE 4-0
Morten W Sorensen bt Roman Dolynych 9-0, 9-4, 9-0
Mads Korsbjerg bt Dmytro Shcherbakov 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Michael Frilund bt Oleksandr Molodukha 9-2, 9-1, 9-0
Rene Jepsen bt Artem Shandybin 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
[14] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [22] TURKEY 4-0
Jan Koukal bt Zulfi Kan 6-9, 9-0, 9-0, 1-9, 10-9
Martin Stepan bt Hursit Kara 9-4, 9-2, 9-0
Pavel Sladecek bt Selahattin Kara 9-3, 9-2, 9-3
Jaroslav Cech bt Gunal Gunsav 9-6, 9-3, 9-6
[11] DENMARK bt [22] TURKEY 4-0
Morten W Sorensen bt Zulfi Kan 9-5, 9-4, 10-8
Mads Korsbjerg bt Selahattin Kara 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Michael Frilund bt Gunal Gunsav 9-4, 9-1, 9-1
Rene Jepsen bt Arda Arkasu 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
[14] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [19] UKRAINE 4-0
Jan Koukal bt Roman Dolynych 9-6, 9-7, 9-2
Martin Stepan bt Dmytro Shcherbakov 4-9, 9-3, 9-2, 9-2
Pavel Sladecek bt Oleksandr Molodukha 9-0, 9-2, 9-3
Jaroslav Cech bt Oleksiy Davydenko 9-7, 9-1, 9-3
Pool F:
[12] SWITZERLAND bt [20] RUSSIA 4-0
Andre Holderegger bt Alexei Severinov 9-1, 9-3, 9-0
Marco Datwyler bt Roman Fetisov 9-2, 9-0, 9-0
Marcel Straub bt Pavel Sergeev 9-1, 9-1, 9-0
Nicolas Mueller bt Andrey Bratter 9-4, 9-1, 9-1
[13] HUNGARY bt [21] SLOVAKIA 4-0
Mark Krajcsak bt Roman Celler 9-2, 9-1, 9-0
Andras Torok bt Andrej Schmidtmayer 9-3, 9-0, 9-1
Sandor Fulop bt Marek Manik 9-1, 9-1, 9-1
Balazs Welesz bt Tomas Toth 9-3, 9-2, 9-1
[12] SWITZERLAND bt [21] SLOVAKIA 4-0
Andre Holderegger bt Roman Celler 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Marcel Straub bt Andrej Schmidtmayer 9-0, 9-4, 10-9
Nicolas Mueller bt Marek Manik 9-6, 9-1, 9-1
Benjamin Fischer bt Tomas Toth 9-1, 9-1, 9-0
[13] HUNGARY bt [20] RUSSIA 4-0
Mark Krajcsak bt Alexei Severinov 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Andras Torok bt Roman Fetisov 9-0, 9-1, 9-0
Sandor Fulop bt Pavel Sergeev 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Balazs Welesz bt Georgy Kitsiev 9-0, 9-0, 9-0

Women's Qualifying rounds - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [5] FRANCE 3-0
Vicky Botwright bt Isabelle Stoehr 9-3, 9-0, 9-6
Jenny Duncalf bt Celia Allamargot 9-0, 9-2, 9-0
Linda Elriani bt Soraya Renai 9-0, 9-1, 9-0
[4] SCOTLAND bt [8] SPAIN 2-1
Frania Gillen-Buchert bt Chantal Moros-Pitarch 8-10, 9-7, 9-4, 9-2
Louise Philip lost to Elisabet Sado 4-9, 1-9, 4-9
Lisa McKenna bt Alicia Alvarez 9-2, 9-10, 9-4, 9-0
Pool B:
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [6] GERMANY 3-0
Vanessa Atkinson bt Daniela Schumann 9-0, 9-4, 9-2
Annelize Naude bt Karin Beriere 9-3, 9-2, 9-0
Orla Noom bt Katharina Witt 9-0, 9-7, 9-3
[7] DENMARK bt [3] IRELAND 2-1
Line Hansen lost to Laura Mylotte 1-9, 4-9, 9-4, 6-9
Ellen Petersen bt Aisling Blake 9-5, 9-1, 9-4
Julie Dorn-Jensen bt Eleanor Lapthorne 9-6, 10-8, 9-4
Pool C:
[16] WALES bt [9] BELGIUM 2-1
Tegwen Malik bt Charlie de Rycke 9-5, 9-4, 9-8
Jenny Wright bt Julie de Bellefroid 9-1, 9-4, 9-2
Gemma Davies lost to Ankie Nedee 5-9, 8-9, 9-7, 9-7, 2-9
[12] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [13] FINLAND 2-1
Jana Smeralova lost to Lotta Vuorela 0-9, 5-9, 2-9
Zuzana Vackova bt Eevamaria Vuolo 9-7, 9-3, 4-9, 9-1
Lucie Fialova bt Elina Kononen 9-5, 9-7, 6-9, 9-4
[13] FINLAND bt [9] BELGIUM 2-1
Lotta Vuorela lost to Charlie de Rycke 1-9, 0-9, 1-9
Elina Kononen bt Julie de Bellefroid 9-3, 10-9, 2-9, 9-5
Jutta Tuunanen bt Ankie Nedee 0-9, 9-5, 9-4, 9-8
[12] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [17] SLOVAKIA 3-0
Jana Smeralova bt Linda Hruzikova 9-5, 9-2, 9-3
Zuzana Vackova bt Aneta Paprnakova 9-2, 9-3, 9-2
Lucie Fialova bt Henrieta Loksova 9-6, 9-0, 9-0
[16] WALES bt [17] SLOVAKIA 2-1
Tegwen Malik bt Linda Hruzikova 9-0, 9-0, 9-1
Jenny Wright bt Aneta Paprnakova 9-7, 9-1, 9-1
Hannah Wright-Davies lost to Henrieta Loksova 2-9, 9-2, 9-7, 8-10, 3-9
Pool D:
[10] SWITZERLAND bt [15] NORWAY 3-0
Agnes Muller bt Lotte Eriksen 9-1, 9-2, 9-3
Gaby Schmohl bt Nina Martinsen 9-2, 9-0, 9-3
Sara Guebey bt Maren Myhre 9-0, 9-5, 9-3
[14] ITALY bt [11] AUSTRIA 2-1
Manuela Manetta lost to Pamela Pancis 3-9, 9-5, 4-9, 9-6, 7-9 (83m)
Sonia Pasteris bt Birgit Coufal 9-7, 9-1, 9-1
Veronica Favero Camp bt Bettina Greslehner 9-2, 9-6, 9-1
[10] SWITZERLAND bt [14] ITALY 2-1
Agnes Muller bt Manuela Manetta 9-7, 4-9, 9-7, 8-10, 9-3
Gaby Schmohl lost to Sonia Pasteris 3-9, 9-3, 1-9, 8-10
Olivia Hauser bt Veronica Favero Camp 9-0, 9-2, 9-1
[11] AUSTRIA bt [15] NORWAY 3-0
Pamela Pancis bt Lotte Eriksen 9-4, 1-9, 9-2, 9-1
Birgit Coufal bt Nina Martinsen 9-5, 10-8, 9-5
Konny Hofer bt Maren Myhre 2-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-2