This has not been the best weekend for the Spanish volantistas who have competed in the Italian International 2022. The draw was capricious and paired them with rivals of a high level and fortune has not been with them on the track either.
Pablo Abián and Kike Peñalver were the first Spaniards to enter the scene in the final draw. The Aragonese faced the always difficult Kim Bruun and started the match by winning 21-14. However, the Dane managed to react to come back in two very tight sets (19-21 and 19-21) after more than an hour of battle.
A similar script was seen in Peñalver’s match against the demanding Chinese Taipei player Lu Chia Hung. The man from Toledo did not allow Lu to open great distances and remained at all times with options to take the victory, but, in both sets, the greater success of the Asian in the key moments tipped the balance on his side (20-22 and 19- twenty-one).
It couldn’t be in the doubles either
Spain had three couples in contention, the men’s Joan Monroy – Carlos Piris and the women Nerea Ivorra – Claudia Leal and Paula López – Elena Lorenzo, but none of them was lucky in their debut in Milan.
Monroy and Piris were unable to face Koreans Yong Jin and Na Sung Seung (21-113 and 21-10 in 30 minutes), as were Leal and Ivorra against Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam (21-8 and 21-15 in 25 minutes) and López and Lorenzo against Chloe Birch and Jessica Pugh (21-12 and 21-18 in 27 minutes).
Results of the Italian International 2022.
These results do not tarnish the hard work that is being carried out with the aim of continuing to grow at an international level, something that the athletes themselves will surely demonstrate in the next events on the calendar.
