By Gary Anderson

September 29 - Beijing 2008 champion and reigning European champion Andreas Vevera of Austria was the biggest casualty on day two in LignanoAfter a raft of upsets in the women's singles events on the opening day of action at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) European Para Table Tennis Championships, it was the men's competition that threw up some surprises on day two in Lignano.

Former Paralympic champion and reigning European champion Andreas Vevera of Austria was the biggest name to fall as he was eliminated from the competition by home player Andrea Borgato 3-1 in the class one category.

Despite levelling the quarter-final match, the man who claimed the title in Split two years ago relinquished his grip on the World Championship crown after an impressive final two sets from his Italian opponent.

Britain's Robert Davies followed in Vevera's footsteps in the same class as he overcame London 2012 silver medal winner Jean-François Ducay of France in an epic five-setter, despite losing a 2-0 lead, to set up another potential giant-killing against Germany's world number one and Paralympic champion Holger Nikelis.

"Although I have beaten Ducay a couple of times since London it is great to do it in a major Championship," said Davies.

"Although I made hard work of it I'm so happy that I came through.

"I went a little bit passive in the third and fourth game but I tried some different tactics in the fifth and just upped my game a bit."

Fellow Welshman and namesake Paul Davies also advanced to the semi-finals with a walkover victory after his opponent Endre Major of Hungary withdrew due to illness, to set up a clash with Vevera.

"That's the first time I've ever had a walkover and I don't want to win a medal that way," said the London 2012 bronze medallist.

Jean-François Ducay of France was another of the big guns to fall in Lignano as he lost out to Great Britain's Robert DaviesJean-François Ducay of France was another of the big guns to fall in Lignano as he lost out to Great Britain's Robert Davies




















In the men's singles class two, top seed and defending champion Stéphane Molliens of France was another early casualty as he lost out on the games ratio system which seen him finish third behind Serbia's Goran Perlic and Iker Sastre of Spain, even though each of the three players had won one match each.

Another shock exit looked on the cards in Lignano after Britain's London 2012 silver medallist Will Bayley lost the second of his class seven group games against Jean-Paul Montanus of the Netherlands.

But the defending champion regained his composure to storm through his next match 3-0 against Romania's Victor Doana to secure his passage to the knockout stages.

Bayley now must win four matches tomorrow in order to retain his European crown, the first of which will come against Belgian Ben Despineux in the last 16.

"I feel like I'm playing quite well," he said.

"Montanus is a difficult player and I didn't take my chances; at this level you've got to finish matches off when you get the chance and I didn't do it.

"I'm still in the draw which is the most important thing - I know that I can beat anyone so I'm happy that I am still in the competition."

Meanwhile, second seed in the women's singles classes 4-5 Ingala Lundback of Sweden was subject to the games ratio system just as Molliens was, but unlike the Frenchman, Lundback made it through to the next stage along with Slovenia's Andreja Dolinar.

Great Britain's Sue Gilroy saw off the challenge of Slovenian Andreja Dolinar to make the semi-finals in LignanoGreat Britain's Sue Gilroy saw off the challenge of Slovenian Andreja Dolinar to make the semi-finals in Lignano
























Dolinar's progress was then halted by Britain's Sue Gilroy who dispatched the Slovenian in straight sets to book a place in the semi-finals.

"I'm really pleased," said Gilroy.

"To win 3-0 against Dolinar, coming back from 10-6 down in the second game - I'm really happy.

"I desperately wanted to get to play Peric and I needed to get past a really good player in Andreja to get there.

"It's great to be assured of a medal but I'd like to convert it to gold if I can."

In the women's class three competition Slovakia's London 2012 bronze medallist Alena Kanova withdrew from the competition through injury, which saw Turkey's Negris Altintas and Italy's Michela Brunelli make it through to the knockout phase.

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