Cuban Andy Pereira loses in a difficult Olympic table tennis match

 PARIS, Jul 29 (ACN) Andy Pereira, Cuba's top table tennis player, lost to Brazilian favorite Hugo Calderano, number six in the world ranking, during the individual event of this discipline corresponding to the 33rd edition of the Olympic Games, which have been taking place since last Friday in this city.

Pereira, Central American champion and continental runner-up, lost in straight sets with scores of 8-11, 7-11, 9-11 and 4-11, against a rival of vast competitive experience, who also deprived him of winning the highest award at the Pan American Games of Santiago de Chile 2023.

This time, the South American player based his game strategy on his drop shots very close to the net, which forced the Cuban to deliver the ball too high, as well as on the defense from a delayed position with respect to the table, which on more than one occasion caused Andy's desperation.

For Pereira this was his third Olympic participation, after also taking part in the London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 tournaments.

On Saturday, Cuban table tennis also saw action through the mixed duo of Jorge M. Campos and Daniela Fonseca, who lost to Swedish duo Kristian Karlsson and Christina Kallberg (1-4).