After an opening day full of excitement and many upsets, Teqball World Series Beijing continued (and ended) with even more tight and dramatic matches.

Marek Pokwap ended Boldizsar Levik’s run in the quarterfinal of the men’s singles, and he would not be stopped in the semifinal either, where he defeated Bogdan Marojevic in three sets - the Serbian star played four consecutive three-setters on Sunday. The Polish prodigy faced 2022 world champion and current World No 1. Apor Gyorgydeak (ROU) in the final (who eliminated two Hungarians: Martin Csereklye and three-time singles world champion Adam Blazsovics), so two members of Team Gobek fought for the gold medal.

Gyorgydeak started off strong and dominated early on while Pokwap could not gain any momentum. The second set was much tighter as the two aces went back and forth, but Gyorgydeak was the one who managed to maintain his focus towards the end and edged his teammate out. It means that he collected his third TWS trophy and is still undefeated in singles in 2024!

Final, men’s single

Gyorgydeak (ROU) - Pokwap (POL) 2:0 (4, 10)

After the final, Gyorgydeak praised his opponent:

„We practiced together a couple of times and I knew what to expect. Still, I had to give 110% against him because he is an extraordinary talent, the future is his. He always beats me in practice, but match situations are different. I was getting better game by game and even though it was not planned, I am glad that I was able to improve throughout the tournament. I’m happy I managed to extend my undefeated streak and my plan is to keep it up until the end of the year.”

Gyorgydeak was unstoppable.

The mixed doubles final was the first on Sunday that featured Csaba Banyik, who alongside Krisztina Acs, knocked out Sudarat Thongkot/Boonkoom Tipwong (THA) in straight sets in the QF, then completed the comeback against fellow Hungarians Gabriella Kota/Balazs Katz in the semifinal. On the lower bracket, world champions Suphawadi Wongkhamchan/Phakpong Dejaroen (THA) continued their winning streak against Hungarian teams: they handled Anna Izsak/Arpad Sipos on Saturday, then closed out Nora Vicsek/Matyas Odnoga and Petra Pechy/Blazsovics, respectively.

Acs/Banyik’s start hardly could have been better as they took a 7:0 lead, but the Thais responded with their on 7:2 run. However, the Hungarians were able to hold them off and won the opening period. The Thai unit upped their game for the second set that played out to be the complete opposite of the first, so the Asian stars equalized. The decisive set was tight in the beginning, but the 2023 WCh bronze medallists shifted gears and did not look back. With their win, they earned their third TWS trophy and are looking to make it four in their home country, Hungary in October.

Final, mixed doubles

Acs/Banyik (HUN) - Wongkhamchan/Dejaroen (THA) 2:1 (8, -8, 5)

„Our service game was pretty great in the final, we did not let them attacking so they could not play to their strengths, we were able to execute our gameplan 100%. It was fun to play against our friends in the semis, and even though it would have been better to face them in the final, at least one of us made it to the end.” - said Krisztina Acs after their victorious run.

Although the Thais tried with every kind of smashes, the Hungarians stopped their dreams.

In the men’s doubles, the “dream final” took place as 3-time world champions Nikola Mitro/Marojevic and reigning champs Banyik/Katz clashed in the gold medal game. The Serbians crushed Levik/Benjamin Toth in the Round of 8, then came back from a 0:1 deficit in the semis against Sorrasak Taosiri/Jirati Chanliang (THA), while the Hungarians bounced Pokwap/Adrian Duszak (POL) in the quarterfinals, then edged out Tipwong/Dejaroen (THA) in a thrilling three-setter, so the two Thai units shared the bronze medals.

The gold medal game turned out to be as epic as expected: no duos managed to lead by more than two points in the opening set. Midway through, the Serbs took over and held onto their small lead to go up 1:0. The current world champs came back with a much better performance in the second period, won all the crucial rallies and pushed back their opponents when they attempted a late comeback. The Hungarians kept their momentum and built a demanding lead in the decisive set, but Mitro/Marojevic fought back again and erased their deficit to one point at 10:9. However, the final to rallies went to Banyik/Katz, and that resulted another gold medal for them.

Final, men’s doubles

Banyik/Katz (HUN) - Mitro/Marojevic (SRB) 2:1 (-10, 9, 9)

„I had a great feeling coming in to this event, we practiced a lot during the long break and I knew I was in good shape. There were some bumps on the road, but everything ended up perfectly. Krisztina’s service game was incredible, and with Balazs, we did what we do best. I had some pain in my leg before the finals, but the adrenaline kicked in and put it away and it was also good that we won the mixed because I stayed in rhythm and carried on the momentum to the men’s final. I have always loved China, I like the culture and even started to learn the language. I was disappointed after Qingdao with the two bronzes so I was extra motivated to come to Beijing. Now I cannot wait for the next event in Budapest, because the last time we played in Hungary ended up being one of my biggest disappointments. So I hope to repeat my Beijing performance at home.” - said Csaba Banyik, who returns to Hungary with two gold medals from the Chinese capital.

Banyik/Katz finished on the top in men's doubles at Teqball World Series Beijing.

New MVPs have been crowned in Beijing: the Best Female of the Event award went to Krisztina Acs, while Marek Pokwap was named Best Male of the Teqball World Series Beijing.