(by Steve Hopkins)
Ian Seidenfeld fell today to Matteo Parenzan of Italy in their Semifinals match in Class 6. Seidenfeld had a great run up until this point, but he fell behind early and never regained the momentum. Parenzan won 11-7, 11-2, and 11-8, leaving Seidenfeld (and TeamUSA) with the Bronze medal.
Our other two Paralympians were eliminated earlier in the week. Tahl Leibovitz fell to Ukraine’s Ivan Mai 0-3 in their Round of 16 match in Men’s Singles MS9, and Jenson Van Emburgh lost to Korea’s Jang Yeongjin by a heartbreaking 2-3 score (9-11 in the fifth) in Men’s Singles MS3.
There is likely disappointment across the board, as all three were contenders for medals. That said, American fans could not be more proud of the effort. Leibovitz fell two matches short, Van Emburgh fell two points short, and Seidenfeld is bringing a medal home. TeamUSA could not have asked for better representatives.
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