Europe Top-16 Cup | 4 Feb 2022

Turbulent start of the season for Robert GARDOS

Robert GARDOS will return to action at the 2022 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup for a tenth time in his career on 26-27 February and it will happen in Montreux - the city of his biggest success at the event. In 2020, the Austrian finished third. Last year in Thessaloniki he was nineth and his first appearance was in 2009 in Dusseldorf.

Robert commenced the year in big style, with a win at the WTT Feeder Düsseldorf I. On his way to the title he beat Brian AFANADOR of Puerto Rico, Samuel WALKER of England, Antoine HACHARD and Vincent PICARD of France, Maksim GREBNEV of Russia.

"I played very good in Dusseldorf. I lost, maybe, two or three games all together throughout the tournament. I started very good, in perfect shape, but then I got Corona. I had a high fever for a week and I stayed in bed. Then I needed extra week to recover because I felt exhausted and I still have a cough. I could not return in full power," explained GARDOS.

The good news is GARDOS's recovery is going in the right direction.

"Each day I feel better and better. I can practice almost 100 percent now."

Alongside GARDOS, who is no. 8 seed, the players competing at the Top 16 Cup are: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany), Timo BOLL (Germany), Mattias FALCK (Sweden), Liam PITCHFORD (England), Simon GAUZY (France), Darko JORGIC (Slovenia), Marcos FREITAS (Portugal), Kristian KARLSSON (Sweden), Jonathan GROTH (Denmark), Yang WANG (Slovakia), Tomislav PUCAR (Croatia), Emmanuel LEBESSON (France), Daniel HABESOHN (Austria), Barish MOULLET (Switzerland), Andrej GACINA (Croatia).

"It is very difficult to know what I can expect there, since there were so few tournaments recently. You cannot judge others player's shape now. Maybe, only Bundesliga is playing, but I was sick and I did not follow it closely. I am at home with three kids, there was a lot to do around," explained GARDOS.

Speaking of his best memories, for sure, it is the one from two years ago when GARDOS shared the medal rostrum with Timo BOLL and Darko JORGIC.

"Opening round loses are always hard, but in 2015 I remember I lost in the quarterfinal against Simon GAUZY after I was 3:0 up and it was 9 all....that is really bad memory."

There are no doubts about the main favorites at this edition of the event, according to GARDOS.

"BOLL and OVTCHAROV and of course FALCK and KARLSSON, JORGIC.... the quality is high and very even. It promises big fights and good matches," concluded GARDOS.