In an evening full of emotions the Top Spin Messina WatchesTogether failed to subvert the predictions by losing to Villa Dante againstApuania Carrara in the first leg final of the men’s Serie A1 table tennis championship playoffs. The Tuscans, reigning champions and first at the end of the regular season, won 4-0 and will now need a feat on Saturday at the Avenza Palasport in the return match to be able to continue to hope.
Splendid audience setting
It was played in front of a splendid audience, with the team coached by Wang Hong Liang, assisted on the bench by Marcello Puglisi, supported by incessant cheering. Before starting, President Giorgio Quartuccio, on behalf of the club, handed over a commemorative plaque amidst applause (“Until the last point, until the last set, until the victory. Thanks Marco for a dream that lasted six years”) to Marco Rech Daldosso, in his last appearance of his career, to reward him after six fantastic seasons spent with the Top Spin shirt, full of trophies and great satisfaction. A hint of emotion is inevitable in officially greeting one of the protagonists of unforgettable years, ready to embark on a new path.
Then the match, under the refereeing direction entrusted to Nicola Capurso and Michele Damone. In the first singles of the series Antonino Amato was beaten by Tomislav Pucar 3-1. The Palermo player remained in the lead for a long time in the first set (the Croatian ahead 7-6), then Pucar accelerated to win 11-7. Swing in the second set, from 5-2 for Amato to 8-5 in favor of Pucar and in this case too the Croatian crossed the finish line 11-7. Third fraction with the master of the house. From 5-5, in fact, it was a monologue from Amato, victorious thanks to six consecutive points. The fourth set also started in the best way for the Top Spin player, leading 6-2 and subsequently 7-4, but Pucar prevailed in a comeback. After the tie at 8-8, the athlete from Carrara scored the final three points, winning the match.
High level challenge between Matteo Mutti and Andrej Gacina, which ended in the fifth set, which saw the Croatian prevail by a whisker. The Mantuan team had a sensational start, initially leading 4-1 and then 9-3, with the final 11-5 achieved without too many difficulties. In the second set, vice versa, it was Gacina who broke away, reaching 10-5 and taking advantage of the third set-point available (11-7) to close the matter. The third half is the one of Mutti’s biggest regrets, as he did well to earn two chances at 10-8, both of which were cancelled. After the missed opportunity for Gacina, Mutti collected two more set points (12-11, 13-12) but was unable to pass and the Tuscan player prevailed 15-13. In the fourth, Mutti made a comeback, capable of recovering from 2-5 to 6-5 after the time-out. From 6-6 it was a solo of the Lombard until 11-6. To the “beautiful” enormous bad luck for Mutti, with the edge that earned Gacina the 10-6 among the various episodes that tipped the balance in Carrara’s direction. The host, never tamed, still saved the first three match points, but the fourth was the right one for the Croatian (11-9) and 2-0 overall for Claudio Volpi’s team.
Niagol Stoyanov and Mihai Bobocica faced each other in the third match. Bobocica made a sprint start (4-0), with Stoyanov climbing back up to 9-7 before the two decisive points scored by the guest player. The second half was very balanced and saw Stoyanov lead 4-2 at the start. Advancing from 8-8 Bobocica got two set-points, capitalizing on the second (11-9). Stoyanov got back on track (from 0-4 to 5-5) in the third, then Bobocica’s sprint who regained command from 6-5 and with three match points (10-7) flew towards the finish line , hit at the last minute (11-9), after the excellent reaction produced by Stoyanov, to seal the 3-0.
The curtain fell with the challenge between Matteo Mutti and Tomislav Pucar. The start (5-2) was favorable to Mutti, but Pucar reversed the situation (8-6), winning the first set 11-7. In the second the man from Mantua found himself ahead 5-2, but suffered a heavy break (7-0) from his opponent. The rapprochement (9-8) was not enough for Mutti, who was overcome 11-8. In the third set Mutti tried to respond, leading (4-2) at the start and up to 8-7, then Pucar overtook (9-8) taking the victory (11-8) and giving the definitive success to of him 4-0. In a calendar that has given no respite, offering many close matches, the return match is scheduled for Saturday 27 April, at 5pm, at the Avenza Palasport. Top Spin Messina WatchesTogether will have to obtain a victory, with any score, to postpone the verdict to the play-off which would always be played on the Apuania Carrara pitch. (Messina, 25 April 2024)
Top Spin Messina WatchesTogether-Apuania Carrara 0-4
Antonino Amato-Tomislav Pucar 1-3 (7-11, 7-11, 11-5, 8-11)
Matteo Mutti-Andrej Gacina 2-3 (11-5, 7-11, 13-15, 11-6, 9-11)
Niagol Stoyanov-Mihai Bobocica 0-3 (7-11, 9-11, 9-11)
Matteo Mutti-Tomislav Pucar 0-3 (7-11, 8-11, 8-11)
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