Paisley’s Martin Perry won a bronze medal in the men’s class six at the ITTF Para Polish Open in Wladyslawowo last week after falling at the semi-final stage to world number one Alvaro Valera.
Perry, currently ranked world number 22, lost 3-1 in his opening group match to Romanian world number five Bobi Simion in Poland, but battled back well to progress through the group stages with a 3-1 win against Chile’s 17-year-old Ignacio Torres Orostica.
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That took him through to the quarter-finals where he came up against another Chilean in world number 18 Marias Pino Lorca, seeing him off with a convincing 3-1 win to set up a semi-final against Valera and guarantee himself a well-deserved bronze medal in doing so.
However, the Spaniard, the reigning European champion and a former World and Paralympic champion, proved to be a step too for the man from Paisley as he eventually lost 3-0.
Perry then teamed up with Switzerland’s Valentin Kneuss to take on a combined team from the Czech Republic and Chile with Perry seeing off Czech player Petr Hnizdo 3-0 in their opening match.
Perry and Kneuss fell to a 3-1 defeat in the doubles match before Kneuss lost 3-1 himself in the singles as the pair crashed out.
But Perry, who adds the bronze in Poland to an ever-expanding medal haul after an impressive start to the season, was fairly pleased with his efforts against world number one Valera in the singles as he quickly turned his attention to his next competition.
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“I think, overall, my level has been good,” said Perry. “At times I know it has to be at a more consistent level but I’m happy with my fight on the table and the way I’ve worked the points. Alvaro is always tough – he’s the world number one – but I feel that I made him play and it wasn’t an easy match for him.
“I feel I could have taken the first and third sets but it wasn’t to be. I’m looking forward to heading to Mexico this week.”
Mexican Open starts tomorrow! It's a privilege getting to see the world pic.twitter.com/Vj8ubytyCx
— Martin Perry (@martinTTperry) 4 June 2019
Next up for the Paisley star is the Para TT Copa Cristina Hoffmann in Cancun, Mexico which gets underway today.
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