Dexter St Louis won twice on the opening day of the World Table Tennis Championships, in Paris, France, yesterday, to earn a berth in the men’s singles qualification knockout draw.
The France-based Trinidad and Tobago player topped group 71 with victories over Kazakhstan’s Timur Kelbuganov and Peru’s Juan Luperdi.
St Louis was extended to seven games by Kelbuganov, the France-based southpaw winning 11-7, 15-13, 9-11, 10-12, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8. He had things a lot easier against Luperdi, St Louis dismissing the Peruvian 11-7, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4.
The other T&T player in the men’s singles, Anthony Corbin lost twice in group 18, and was eliminated. Corbin was defeated by Macau’s Kin Wa Leong, the England-based player losing 5-11, 4-11, 12-14, 8-11. And in his showdown with India’s Soumyajit Ghosh, Corbin was beaten at 7, 5, 6 and 7.
Rheann Chung won her opening match in group 56 of the women’s singles event. The France-based T&T player made light work of Malta’s Therese Genovese, cruising past her opponent 11-1, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3.
Chung will be back on the table today for her showdown with Costa Rican Denisse Navarro. At stake will be a spot in the women’s singles qualification knockout draw.
St Louis and Chung will combine today for a mixed doubles main draw duel with Adrien Mattenet and Alice Abbat, of France. And in the men’s doubles preliminary round draw, St Louis and Corbin square off against England’s Liam Pitchford and Samuel Walker.