It has been a while since the elite had the chance to demonstrate their skills in Asia, but on the first weekend of August, Teqball is back to the largest continent! 48 duos in three categories (women’s, men’s and mixed doubles) will take on the challenge in Qingdao, China at the first stop of the Asian tour.

Starting with the women’s field, Zsanett Janicsek will participate without Lea Vasas, therefore we will not see the European Games-winning twosome together. However, Janicsek will join forces with the individual EG gold medallist, Romanian Kinga Barabasi to take on the single’s world champion, Carolyn Greco and her new partner, Zsofia Dezsenyi, who finished 4th last weekend in Esztergom alongside Amelie Julian.

It will be very interesting to see the best Europeans and Greco go up against the Thai teams, who dominated the last Asian tournament in Dubai five months ago. Jutatip Kuntatong and Suphawadi Wongkhamchan claimed the trophy back in March versus Jariya Seesawad and Areeya Homdee in the final and they should be considered favorites in Qingdao, too. They are not only effective and successful, but their style of play is really spectacular and entertaining.

In men’s doubles, Csaba Banyik and Balazs Katz went on to an 11-month undefeated streak, but it came to an end last weekend in Esztergom in the hands of Adam Bako and Matyas Odnoga. The European champions must be highly motivated to get back in the winners’ column, however, they will be contested by fellow Hungarians the four-time world champion Adam Blazsovics and Martin Csereklye, as well as the singles’ world and European champ, Apor Gyorgydeak and his partner, Szabolcs Ilyes.

And we have not yet mentioned the Thai duo of Phakpong Dejaroen and Uthen Kukheaw, who made a splash five months ago in Dubai when they eliminated world champions Nikola Mitro and Bogdan Marojevic in the quarterfinal, then took Banyik&Katz to three sets in the final. And if you are looking for breathtaking saves and smashes, look out for Frankie Diaz and Bartlomiej Franczuk!

Besides the aforementioned players, who will also compete in various line-ups in the mixed doubles, add Brazilians Rafaella Fontes and Marcos Vieira to the pool of contenders, and you will get an unpredictable and very competitive event. We will have the Thais (Kuntatong&Kukheaw, Wongkhamchan&Dejaroen), the Europeans (Banyik&Janicsek, Katz&Barabasi, Csereklye&Dezsenyi), the Americans (Greco&Diaz) and even an intercontinental duo (Blazsovics&Yen Chiao-Sin), so the title is definitely anybody’s to win.

And you do not want to count out the home players from China!

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