Open International Niort Venise Verte: Svec Retires, French Hopes Ended

No.3 seed Martin Svec was the biggest casualty on day two of the Open International Niort Venise Verte, retiring midway through his match against Mohamed Nasser. 

Svec had dropped game one 11-6 but levelled things up in a drama-filled second, which ended 18-16 after the Czech player had saved four game balls. 

The third would last less than three-and-a-half minutes, though, with Svec retiring to hand Nassar a quarter-final spot, setting up an all-Egyptian clash with Mazen Gamal. 

Gamal also overcame a Czech player in his round-two encounter, coming from a game down to beat Jakub Solnicky 3-1 in 57 minutes. 

Elsewhere in the draw, India’s No.4 seed Abhay Singh knocked out France’s Toufik Mekhalfi, ending hopes of a French winner in the process. 

Mekhalfi was one of two French players in round two, but his exit followed No.8 seed Edwin Clain’s defeat to New Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe earlier in the day. 

Chileshe eased past Clain 3-0 and will now play No.2 seed Rory Stewart in the last eight. 

Stewart needed all five games to get past Malaysia’s Darren Rahul Pragasam, coming from a game down at 2-1 to eventually win 7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5 in 51 minutes. 

There were no such troubles for top seed Iker Pajares Bernabeu, who overcame the younger Chileshe brother, Temwa, 11-2, 11-9, 11-6. 

Results: Men’s Round Two 

[1] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt [9/16] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-2, 11-9, 11-6 (33m) 
[7] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bt [9/16] James Peach (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (26m) 
[5] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt [9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) 3-1: 7-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-9 (57m) 
[9/16] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) bt [3] Martin Svec (CZE) 3-1: 11-6, 16-18, 5-4 ret. (49m) 
[4] Abhay Singh (IND) bt [9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-1: 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7 (47m) 
[6] Viktor Byrtus (CZE) bt Miles Jenkins (ENG) 3-1: 11-3, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 (36m) 
[9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt [8] Edwin Clain (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 (40m) 
[2] Rory Stewart (SCO) bt Darren Pragasam (MAS) 3-2: 7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5 (51m) 

Draw: Men’s Quarter-Finals 

[1] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v [7] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) 
[9/16] Mohamed Nasser (EGY) v [5] Mazen Gamal (EGY) 
[4] Abhay Singh (IND) v [6] Viktor Byrtus (CZE) 
[2] Rory Stewart (SCO) v [9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL)