Mixed Fortunes For Locals In European Championships

There were mixed fortunes for Hungarian players on the opening day of action in the Head European Individual Championships in the capital Budapest, with three players making it through to the men's last sixteen but local hope Edina Szombati crashing out in the first round of the women's event.

Szombati was one of two seeding casualties in the women's championship - the 9/16 seed failing to capitalise on two leads to go down 3-9, 9-3, 4-9, 9-7, 9-7 to unseeded Aneta Paprnakova of Slovakia.

Paprnakova's compatriot Linda Hruzikova caused the other upset in the women's event when she beat 9/16 seed Vaso Karasava-Hambides, from Cyprus, 9-3, 10-8, 9-3.

Budapest-based Mark Krajcsak led the Hungarian success in the men's event with a 2-9, 9-0, 9-3, 9-4 victory over Tom Hoevenaars of the Netherlands. The 5/8 seed will now meet the only unseeded player to make the last sixteen - Sweden's Rasmus Hult, who upset France's 9/16 seed Julien Balbo 9-5, 10-9, 1-9, 9-7.

The two other Hungarians, both 9/16 seeds, made it to the men's last sixteen after dramatic five-game battles: Andras Torok came back from 0/2 down to topple Scotland's Alan Clyne 9-10, 2-9, 10-8, 9-2, 9-0, while Sandor Fulop stemmed a fight back by Petros Tzamaloukas to conquer his Greek opponent 9-4, 9-5, 4-9, 2-9, 9-3.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt Martin Stepan (CZE) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1
[9/16] Patrick Gaessler (GER) bt Sebastian Victor (SWE) 9-5, 9-1, 9-1
[9/16] Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) bt Marco Datwyler (SUI) 9-6, 9-1, 9-0
[5/8] Simon Rosner (GER) bt Alexander Pavulans (LAT) 9-5, 9-4, 9-6
[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Tomer Noach (ISR) 9-2, 9-6, 9-0
[9/16] Andras Torok (HUN) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 9-10, 2-9, 10-8, 9-2, 9-0
[9/16] Sandor Fulop (HUN) bt Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE) 9-4, 9-5, 4-9, 2-9, 9-3
[3/4] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Lukas Jelinek (CZE) 9-1, 9-3, 9-1
[3/4] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Dove Haruzi (ISR) 9-3, 9-5, 9-5
[9/16] Andre Holderegger (SUI) bt Petr Martin (CZE) 9-1, 9-3, 9-3
Rasmus Hult (SWE) bt [9/16] Julien Balbo (FRA) 9-5, 10-9, 1-9, 9-7
[5/8] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Tom Hoevenaars (NED) 2-9, 9-0, 9-3, 9-4
[5/8] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 9-4, 9-2, 9-2
[9/16] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Marton Szaboky (HUN) 9-2, 9-5, 9-6
[9/16] Christian Drakenberg (SWE) bt Ron Levy (ISR) 9-1, 9-4, 9-5
[2] Peter Barker (ENG) bt Bastian Meulenbelt (NED) 9-0, 9-5, 9-1

Women's 1st round:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bye
Linda Hruzikova (SVK) bt [9/16] Vaso Karasava-Hambides (CYP) 9-3, 10-8, 9-3
[9/16] Milja Dorenbos (NED) bt Hana Vagnerlova (CZE) 9-2, 9-0, 9-5
[5/8] Soraya Renai (FRA) bt Noemi Poszar (HUN) 9-1, 8-10, 9-4, 9-1
[5/8] Daniela Schumann (GER) bt Zeta Tzamalouka (GRE) 9-1, 9-2, 9-0
[9/16] Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO) bt Helga Kecse-Nagy (HUN) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0
[9/16] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) bt Claire Kidd (SCO) 9-7, 5-9, 9-0, 9-7
[3/4] Camille Serme (FRA) bye
[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bye
[9/16] Lucie Fialova (CZE) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 9-2, 9-6, 9-2
[9/16] Louise Philip (SCO) bt Lucia Eckerova (SVK) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0
[5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) bt Zuzana Vackova (CZE) 9-7, 8-10, 9-6, 7-9, 9-2
[5/8] Chantal Moros-Pitarch (ESP) bt Ekatarina Glinchikova (RUS) 9-2, 9-5, 9-1
Aneta Paprnakova (SVK) bt [9/16] Edina Szombati (HUN) 3-9, 9-3, 4-9, 9-7, 9-7
[9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt Zsuzsanna Kekesi (HUN) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
[2] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bye