European Games | 24 Jun 2023

Cedric NUYTINCK put an end to Joao GERALDO's progress

On the second day of play at the 2023 European Games Krakow, big guns enter the stage in Hutnik Arena. The upsets commenced from the very first round of the competrition today.

In the Round of 32, the morning session was highlighted by the departure of the 10th seed, Joao GERALDO of Portugal. Geraldo was defeated by the 30th seed, Cedric NUYTINCK of Belgium, who managed to come back from a three-game deficit to win four consecutive games (-8, -10, -4, 8, 9, 4, 7).

"In the first three games, I struggled with my service and return game. It was only in the fourth game when I found my rhythm and managed to improve my service game. I also reduced my mistakes," said NUYTINCK.

In the next round, NUYTINCK will face either Andrej GACINA of Croatia or Deni KOZUL of Slovenia.

"We are at a stage where every opponent is very difficult to beat. The only certainty is that it will be a close match, no matter who is on the other side of the net."

The first person to approach NUYTINCK to celebrate his victory was Dane Anders LIND. LIND defeated Yaroslav ZHMUDENKO of Ukraine 4-2 (-10, 6, 9, 6, -10, 8).

"I lost the opening game very closely, 10-12, but then I managed to settle into a rhythm. Actually, in the fifth game, I was on a good path to finish the match, but in a very close contest, Yaroslav won. I must praise his counter spin; it is one of the best I have ever played against. He really put me to the test," explained LIND.

Despite recent health issues he faced, LIND emerged victorious in the Round of 32 match.

"I came from the WTT Contender in Nigeria with a Salmonella infection. I had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius for one day, and it remained at 39 degrees for the following three days. I also lost some weight. So, physically, I am far from being in good shape, but mentally, I am determined, and that was the key to my success today," added LIND.

The fourth seed, Darko JORGIC of Slovenia, faced a challenging start against Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania but managed to come out victorious in six closely contested games, each concluding with a narrow margin 4-2 (-8, 10, 10, -9, 9, 10).

"It is always difficult for me to play against IONESCU. In the Champions League, our matches are always closely contested. Since not having the rankings to match his quality, we encountered each other too early in this tournament. It once again proved how tough it is to play against him. Ovidiu won the opening game, and he had a 9-4 advantage in the second. I have to admit that I also made mistakes on two service points, which gave him an extra advantage. However, I managed to recover and win the second game, which I believe was the key moment. Mentally, it was challenging for him to overcome that," explained JORGIC.

The duel between the 22nd seed, Liam PITCHFORD of England, and the 26th seed, Daniel HABESOHN, ended in favor of the lower-ranked Austrian after a thrilling seven-game match (-6, 8, -6, -10, 8, 5, 5).

"Although I lost the fourth set, it was during that part of the match that I adjusted my tactics and began to build my game. I read his game and managed to find the answer to his parallel shots, which he initially used to surprise me," explained HABESOHN.

Germany's Dimitrij OVTCHAROV needed only four games to preaviled against Borgar HAUG of Norway (7, 8, 5, 8).

"I had already seen him a few times during training in Düsseldorf, but didn't really know him yet. That's why I watched his preliminary round match against Bence MAJOROS yesterday on the livestream. He has a lot of quality in his serve and first ball, a bit like Michael MAZE, but of course he is still far away from his level as a young, upcoming player. He played good balls at times, but not consistently throughout the set. I myself played well and brought a good feeling for the game and competitive experience from Lagos. I feel good so far and I am happy with this win.

I am cautiously assuming that I will meet Alvaro ROBLES in the next round. I have played him twice in the last few months. Once I won narrowly 4:2 at the Feeder Düsseldorf, once 3:1 at the Contender in Aman. He always brings a lot back. You have to be really fit and concentrated. But if I bring my game, I have to win the match."