Patrick Vaughan advanced to the quarter-finals of the European Para Table Tennis Championships in Sweden, but there was disappointment for Colin Judge as he exited at the round of 16 stage.
Vaughan's second group match pitted him against Austria’s Christian Scheiber and he delivered a composed, confident performance throughout.
He settled quickly, taking the first set 11–4. The second set was a much tighter affair, with both players going point for point. Strong serving from Vaughan helped him open up a 9–5 lead, but a determined comeback from Scheiber made the closing stages tense. Vaughan held his nerve, edging it 12–10.
The third set followed a similar pattern, closely contested from the start, but Vaughan maintained control and closed out the match 11–9 and is back in action tomorrow (9am Irish time) in the Class 7 quarter-finals when he takes on Great Britain’s Theo Bishop.
Two time Paralympian Judge however is out after his Class 3 defeat at the hands of Poland’s Maciej Nalepka at the Helsingborg Arena.
Nalepka took the opening set 11–8, but Judge responded well, taking the second set 11–9 to level the match at 1–1. The third set was another tight contest, with Nalepka edging it 12–10 to regain the lead.
Judge fought back superbly in the fourth set, winning 11–6 and forcing a decisive fifth set. In the final set, Nalepka closed it out 11–7, to take victory.
