The second day of qualifying for the FIP Senior World Cup in Buenos Aires saw four nations punch their tickets to the final stage of the tournament. Paraguay, Poland, Ukraine, and Austria all secured decisive victories, moving one step closer to the championship trophy.
Qualification Results and Match Highlights
The qualifying ties featured intense competition across various age categories, with teams battling to secure their spots in the final phase. Here is how each nation earned their place:
- Paraguay: The Albirroja defeated Canada 4-1. The winning pairs included Acuña/Hahn (50+), Enciso/Paredes (45+), Closa/Zekoff (40+), and Filartiga/Diaz (60+). Canada managed a single point in the Over 55 category with a victory by Messow/Wright.
- Poland: After a loss on the first day, Poland rebounded with a 3-0 sweep against Lithuania. The tie featured a standout performance by Piwek/Slowinski (45+), who rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 7-6. The other victories were secured by Gawloski/Marcinowski (50+) and Reda/Sarnecki.
- Ukraine: The team dominated their tie against Hong Kong with a 5-0 clean sweep. The winning pairs were Levchuck/Kukol (50+), Rodionov/Rudko (45+), Siedoplatov/Baidikov (40+), Turkiv/Galyga (60+), and Synytsia/Reznikov (55+).
- Austria: Matching Ukraine’s performance, the Austrian men’s team secured a 5-0 victory over Croatia. The successful pairs were Kugler/Aschauer (50+), Adamek/Horvath (45+), Unterhuber/Salek (40+), Krocker/Teufelberger (60+), and Ollram/Talos (55+).
With these results, the final stage of the tournament is nearly set. The remaining three spots will be determined on Sunday in Buenos Aires. The schedule begins at 9:00 am local time (2:00 pm CEST) with two qualifying ties: Croatia vs. Hong Kong and Lithuania vs. Canada. The winners of these two matches will advance to the final stage. The final remaining spot will be decided in a decisive tie between the two losing teams, scheduled for 3:00 pm local time (8:00 pm CEST).
