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Nine of Australia’s Para-table tennis team were in action on Day 1 of the Paralympic Games, and all faced fierce competition at South Paris Arena across the doubles program.
After seven challenging matches and despite gallant fightbacks, ultimately all teams were eliminated from progressing further in the competition.
Mixed doubles team, Lina Lei and Nathan Pellissier (XD17) ended Thursday’s final session with a spirited match against Croatia that went down to the wire.
Despite a tense comeback in the deciding game the pair fell heartbreakingly short (11-9) and subsequently going down in a best of five, 3 to 2.
Under pressure several times in the match, Lei and Pellissier dug deep to win a run of rallies, including a coming back from six points down to win the second game.
Croatia comfortably took the third, but another Australian fightback in the fourth sent it to a decider.
“It was tough…Croatia was too good for us,” Pellissier said.
Earlier in the evening session, Melissa Tapper made her return to the same arena where she competed for Australia in the Olympics just weeks ago.
Teaming up with Trevor Hirth to take on Sweden in the mixed doubles (XD17) round of 32, the match kept spectators on edge, but ultimately ended in a 3-1 loss for the Aussies.
Despite the result, Hirth said there was plenty to be gained ahead of the singles draw.
“I think it was good to be in a really tight match,” he said.
“We have got some things that we can personally improve on if we get into a tight situation.”
Danni Di Toro and Jessy Chen also faced a tight opening two games in their mixed doubles (XD7) clash with Great Britain’s Thomas Matthews and Megan Shackleton, however their solid performance wasn’t enough to get the win, beaten 3-1.
Debutants Chris Addis and Hayley Sands faced a tough pairing from Chile’s, Luis Flores and Tamara Leonelli, to be knocked out 3-0 in the mixed doubles (XD7) round of 32.
In the morning session, Lin Ma and Pellissier started positively in the men’s doubles (MD18) round of 16 match against Frenchmen Mateo Boheas and Thomas Bouvais.
After conceding the second and third games, the Australians staged a fightback to take it into a decider but were not able to hold out the home side who quickly regained the momentum off the back of a vocal crowd.
“It was a great atmosphere,” Pellissier said.
“We also had family and friends in the crowd, so it was really nice to see them. But yeah, the French were quite loud.”
Also facing a tough French side were Di Toro and South Australian debutant, Sands.
Twenty-four-year-old Sands said it was a great experience to play her first Paralympic match with Di Toro, who is at her eighth Games.
“I’ve never ever experienced anything like that, and it was just great to be in front of the crowd and be in front of my family and represent Australia,” Sands said.
“It made me really feel really proud.
The pair were beaten 3-0, but Di Toro said it was a special moment to witness Sands make it to Paralympic level.
“I got to be there when she played her first point,” Di Toro said.
“Hats off to Hayley. The work that she’s done to get to this place has been massive.”
Australia’s campaign opened with men’s doubles pairing Christopher Addis and Jessy Chen (MD8) beaten 3-0 by Japan’s Genki Saito and Kazuki Shichino.
“It’s good to get out there and finally hit some balls,” Addis said.
Despite the result, head coach Alois Rosario said he is pleased with how the pair played.
“Their opponents are really highly ranked, but they held their own, especially in the tactics that they had set up, so I couldn’t be more pleased with their efforts.”
Lei and Qian Yang will play in the women’s doubles (WD20) quarterfinal tomorrow, after direct qualification in that part of the draw.
RESULTS
Men’s Doubles (MD8) Round of 16: JPN (SAITO Genki / SHICHINO Kazuki) def AUS (ADDIS Christopher / CHEN Jessy) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4
Men’s Doubles (MD18) Round of 16: FRA (BOHEAS Mateo / BOUVAIS Thomas) def AUS (MA Lin / PELLISSIER Nathan) 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3
Women’s Doubles (WD10) round of 16: FRA (SAINT-PIERRE Alexandra / VAUTIER Flora) def AUS (DI TORO Danni / SANDS Hayley) 11-1, 11-4, 11-1
Mixed Doubles (XD7) round of 32: GBR (MATTHEWS Thomas / SHACKLETON Megan) def AUS (CHEN Jessy / DI TORO Danni) 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5
Mixed Doubles (XD7) Round of 32: CHI (FLORES Luis / LEONELLI Tamara) def AUS (ADDIS Christopher / SANDS Hayley) 11-1, 11-5, 11-3
Mixed Doubles (XD17) Round of 32: SWE (HANSSON Jonas / HANDEN Anja) def AUS (HIRTH Trevor / TAPPER Melissa) 17-15, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7
Mixed Doubles (XD17) Round of 16: CRO (ZOHIL Borna / LUCIC Mirjana) def AUS (PELLISSIER Nathan / LEI Lina) 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9
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By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Published: 30 August 2024
