WVC2016 Alicante (International Event)

New Zealand is represented in Alicante by 12 players, and a three valuable volunteers, Ron Garrett and Brent and Doris Davies.

Brent was a table manager, and was called on as an (international) umpire in the consolation event.  Doris ran a results station.  Ron was in the engine room, running results, table managers and umpires. Ron provided us with a report on his expriences here .

TTNZ Chairman, Gary Williams, is kindly providing notes of his experiences there, and some great photos.  We will update as we receive:

Saturday 21st May

...arrived in Alicante today by train from Valencia.

What a magnificent city Alicante is and we are in one of the top hotels next to the beach.

I line up to register with the folk who didn't have their receipt number, the confused, and get to the front and none other than Ron Garrett was in charge.......he said he'd started the day at 7.30am.  It was about 5pm.Soon after Brent and Doris Davies arrived in their camper van having driven around much of Spain.

I guess they will be busy tomorrow.....saw Yvonne Fogarty who had been practising on one of the 60 practice tables .Next door are the 160 odd competition tables ,while the eating area is as big again,Ron said 4 people set up the playing area over 4 days!

Outside they have a big eating area as well, plus the foyer has all the retail stands etc .

The place is huge , but it needs to be. It's a HUGE event.

There are 12 kiwis entered to play.

Sunday 22nd May

Took a couple of clips from opening ceremony ,which I left early to make sure I got on the bus...I think they cranked out an Opera singer and fireworks even though it was still sunny.

It was hot as at 7.15pm start time.

I've seen a few "scenes" as people not bought transport passes think they can just hop on the busses !

It's a massive event and I guess they will be making good money from drink sales,as it's quite hot even though real summer temps not here till July !

I've got to know the Americans who are planning for 6000 entries in Las Vegas in 2018.

Our lady friend from Venezuela (Luz Rincon) is here, and a few others I recognise from 2014.

NZ has 12 entrants and 3 volunteers......Brent Doris and Ron were in middle of the registration circus again today.

Monday/Tuesday

Photo sent showing Menu.  Note, at 55 euro top menu is $95 NZ.

You had to buy a ticket at one of about 5 booths then present it at bar/restaurants around place.  They were selling a lot of water/beer.

Regan (Qitian) Zhang from Auckland and I were the only kiwis present at the 'Dinner of Legends', which drew around 200 people.

I ran into some important people around the USA Las Vegas 2018 booth.  Apparently 200 Japanese and 900 Germans signed up.

There are over 1000 Germans here, one event Mens Singles 50-59 had 249 groups !! WOW !

I have spoken to several folk e.g. Danes,Spanish,Germans who want to visit NZ for WMG & NZ Vets and plan to but they know our weather and all want summer months.

Qitian Zhang(Regan) and Anny Li from ATTA both qualified top of group ,as did Yvonne Fogarty who has her 2 sons here from London and Indonesia. Yvonne now faces a bevy of Japanese in her draw.

Tetyana Sulimova ,Doug Pattinson and Martina Bohm (Waitemata) all finished second in group.

I finished 3rd…haha…its a long story ,but gave it a good shot ,wore myself out against a German who has never attacked in his life.

Warren [Waitemata], Ernst Wipperfuerth (Canterbury) and Daniel Silva failed to get a win.

Daniel had a bad Putin-esk experience playing a Russian and Ukrainian.  Daniel and I played doubles…we won our first and the group was weak but we lost other 2. Daniel loves the game.

I didn’t enter consolation but they stuck me in draw so will play ,Daniel has the app and somehow he got my text !,otherwise would have been a no-show.

Some Germans told me I was a great umpire…maybe thats my future…I had to keep a couple of Chinese in line,one kept moving the table when smashing and they were claiming lets etc.  The courts a close ,narrow, so there are a lot of lets.

Ernst from Christchurch avoids transport hassles by cycling to the venue….rather than wait for buses.

Rest day today Singles tomorrow.

Tournament Progress

Over 75

WVC regular attendee, Alan Alabaster,squeezed into the championship round in both singles and doubles, with a single loss in both, and plays Australian Buddy Reid next.

Over 65

Congratulations to Yvonne Fogarty for being unbeaten in all pool play and making it to the main draw in singles, and in doubles, with partner Margaret Welsman from England.  Yvonne was supported by her visiting sons, making it a great family occasion.

Tania Sulimova finished second in her group, losing to a Japanese opponent and faces a German in the round of 128.  Partnering Larisa Ilinskaya from Russia, they have been a formidable doubles pairing, and remain unbeaten going into knockouts.

Doug Pattinson is also into the championship round in both singles and doubles (with American partner), losing just one singles on the way.

Ernst Wipperwurth from Canterbury and Warren Dowle found the going tough in pool play and did not qualify, but are playing both consolation events.

Over 60

Aucklander, Anny (Yaping) Li was unbeaten in singles pool play, and faces a German opponent in the main draw.  Doubles partner, Martina Boehm from Waitemata was second in her pool and faces an English opponent in the Championship.  The two kiwis paired up for the doubles, but did not qualify.

Daniel Silva, from Waiheke Island had a walkover victory in his singles pool, but did not qualify.  He partnered TTNZ Chairman, Gary Williams to a 1 win and 2 loss result in doubles pool play.  Gary fought back well to beat a Spanish opponent, but was worn down in an intense battle with a German chopper, who spoiled his chances of qualifying.

Over 50

Qitian (Regan) Zhang from Auckland was unbeaten in pool singles and plays a German opponent in knockouts.

Over 40

Debbie Garrett from Southland was unbeaten in singles pool play, and narrowly missed out in qualifying in doubles, with a 13-11 fifth set loss.

Knockouts Day 4 & 5

Congratulations to Tania Sulimova, who brought back a bronze medal in the over 65 doubles, partnering Larisa Ilinskaya. The pair narrowly lost their semi-final to a Chinese pair, 9-11,11-9,7-11,11-8,2-11

Yvonne Fogarty and her English partner also made the quarter-finals of the same event, losing narrowly to the eventual winners from Japan.

All but one of the kiwis in the Championship singles bowed out in the first round.  The exception was Reagan Zhang from Auckland in the over 50's, an event with 249 qualifying groups!.

In the consolation events the Over 60 womens pair of Martina Boehm and Anny Li narrowly missed making the final, losing their semi 11-8 in the fifth.

Our reporter Gary Williams took time out from his journalistic activities to win three rounds in the consolation singles.  Well done Gary!

Warren Dowle managed to get to the third round of consolation doubles with his partner, Michael Short from England.

Doug Pattinson and his American partner, Simon Shtofmakher made the third round of the over 65 Championship doubles.

Our Australian neighbours did claim a gold for Oceania, with Buddy Reid winning the mens over 75 singles.

Just back from the dinner ,danced,sort of to end. There were 350 there, 35 x 10 per table I sat with USA folk and Fogartys.

Had great Beatlles band.  Ours probably OK alongside.......actually it was rather open, with a street and odd van running thru it.

A few people definitely coming to WMG ......met a Malaysian guy who schooled in Auckland who is coming so hoping to contact a few others connected to him etc over next few days.  Many people want to visit NZ, of course many know our weather patterns and a bit unsure about late April.

All results are here