Sam Mabey clinched a top-20 finish at the Finlandia Open over the weekend, making him the best performing of six English players at the event.
Mabey, ranked 30th going into the event, picked up some good victories, including deciding-set wins over Bekulan Zhamal of Kazakhstan and Anton Andersson of Sweden – taking the latter 12-10 in the seventh.
Chris Doran ended in 40th place and Sam Wilson in 53rd out of a men’s entry of 114, though Doran had to concede his final two matches after suffering a minor back injury.
In the women’s singles, which had 78 entries, Evie Collier bounced back from defeat in her first match to rwin her next three, including over fellow English player Mollie Patterson, and eventually ended up in 22nd place.
Patterson was 30th and her victories included a fine comeback to defeat Ioanna Gerasimatou of Greece 4-3 (11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8). Lois Peake won a thrilling first match against Jannika Oksanen of the host nation 4-3 (11-8, 19-21, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7) but unfortunately had to withdraw through injury and ended in 48th place.
In the team events, every team involving English players went out at the first hurdle. Peake competed alongside Collier and Patterson with Wales’ Lara Whitton but went out to Japan and Japan II respectively. Both Japanese teams went on to reach the final.
Mabey & Wilson were beaten by Spain III in the first round, while Doran & Wales’ Callum Evans had a bye in the first round and went out to Sweden III in the second. That event also saw Japan win gold and silver.
Results
Men’s Singles
Sam Mabey bt Yevgen Kotov (UKR) 4-0 (12-10, 11-6, 12-10, 11-4)
Chris Doran bt Cristian Barbulescu 4-1 (11-7, 11-4, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5)
Sam Wilson bt Benedict Watson (WAL) 4-0 (14-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-2)
Mabey bt Theo Abrahamsson (SWE) 4-2 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7)
O Horbanenko (UKR) bt Doran 4-1 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5)
Cedric Tschantz (SUI) bt Wilson 4-3 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 12-14, 9-11, 11-6)
Doran bt Nelson Villanueva (VEN) 4-0 (14-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4)
Wilson bt Elian Zemmal (FRA) 4-2 (15-13, 1-11, 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9)
Tal Israeli (ISR) bt Mabey 4-2 (11-4, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 15-13)
Doran bt Dennis Huberty (LUX) 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-6, 14-12)
Marc Gutierrez (ESP) bt Wilson 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6)
Anton Limonov (UKR) bt Doran 4-2 (11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Mabey bt Bekulan Zhamal (KAZ) 4-3 (8-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Mabey bt Anton Andersson (SWE) 4-3 (11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10)
Wilson bt Miguel Nunez (ESP) 4-2 (8-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4)
Doran bt Dastan Kenzhigulov (KAZ) 4-2 (11-9, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8)
Alberto Lillo (ESP) bt Mabey 4-2 (8-11, 11-3, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Volodymyr Lushnikov (UKR) bt Wilson 4-2 (10-12, 11-3, 11-2, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8)
Miguel Angel Pantoja bt Doran 4-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9)
Mabey bt Cedric Tschantz (SUI) w/o
Wilson bt Celian Besnier (FRA) 4-2 (8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8)
Heorhi Kunats (BLR) bt Doran w/o
Marc Gutierrez (ESP) bt Mabey 4-3 (13-11, 11-5, 5-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5)
Wilson bt Cecilio Correa (VEN) 4-2 (10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9)
Mikhail Rozhkov bt Doran w/o
Johan Barius (SWE) bt Mabey 4-1 (10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7)
Women’s Singles
Mahshid Ashtari (IRI) bt Evie Collier 4-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6)
Mollie Patterson bt Eli Rissanen (FIN) 4-2 (11-4, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7)
Lois Peake bt Jannika Oksanen (FIN) 4-3 (11-8, 19-21, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Darya Kisel (BLR) bt Patterson 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6)
Oceane Guisnel (FRA) bt Peake w/o
Collier bt Alsu Saparova (KAZ) 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 12-10, 11-5)
Collier bt Matilda Hansson (SWE) 4-2 (11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9)
Patterson bt Ioanna Gerasimatou (GRE) 4-3 (11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8)
Alva Themner (SWE) bt Peake w/o
Collier bt Patterson 4-1 (11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9)
Sophie Walloe (DEN) bt Peake w/o
Rikke Skattet (NOR) bt Collier 4-2 (6-11, 13-11, 11-2, 3-11, 12-10, 12-10)
Sarah Meyer (LUX) bt Patterson 4-2 (11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6)
Dinara Ismailova (RUS) bt Peake w/o
Anastasia Burkova (FIN) bt Collier 4-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5)
Veranika Varabyova (BLR) bt Peake w/o
Patterson bt Alva Themner (SWE) 4-1 (11-9, 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8)
Collier bt Romane Le Scour (FRA) 4-2 (11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7)
Judith Cobas (ESP) bt Peake w/o
Nomin Baasan (SWE) bt Patterson 4-1 (11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6)
Anna Kirichenko (FIN) bt Collier 4-2 (12-14, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-5)
Women’s Team
First round
Japan 2 England 0
Shoako Yamamoto bt Peake 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-8)
Yuka Matsuoka bt Collier 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-7)
Japan II 2 England-Wales 0
Yuki Sanjo bt Patterson 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7)
Hiyori Okazaki bt Whitton 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-3)
Men’s Team
First round
Spain III 2 England 1
Iker Gonzalez bt Mabey 3-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
Wilson bt Miguel Nunez 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 4-11, 11-6)
Gonzalez & Nunez bt Mabey & Wilson 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-2)
Second round
Sweden III 2 England-Wales 1
Jonatan McDonald bt Evans 3-2 (4-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8)
Doran bt Edward Wesshagen 3-2 (result incomplete)
McDonald bt Doran 3-2 (12-14, 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3)