Brazilian Hugo Calderano, 29, won this Sunday (3) the WTT of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, and reached his third consecutive title in the table tennis circuit.
The semifinal and the final were played on Sunday. First, in the morning, he passed through the South Korean Junsung Oh; Then, in the decision, he beat German Benedikt Duda in a match played by 4 sets to 3 (11/7, 11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 9/11, 10/12 and 11/8).
The player thus became the first non-Asian to get three straight wins in the circuit. He also won the title in Buenos Aires in July and Slovenia in June. The victory in the final in Foz do Iguaçu was the 26th followed by the tennist table, which is the number 3 in the world ranking of the sport.
Calderano was involved in a controversy last month. He could not compete in the Grand Smash Las Vegas tournament because he did not get an entry in the United States in time for a trip to Cuba to play a tournament.
The athlete has Portuguese citizenship. Since the European Union countries are part of a visa exemption program, it would only need to inform its entry into the US through the ESGS (Electronic Travel Authorization System).
However, with the delay greater than usual to receive confirmation of his authorization, Hugo sought US authorities. The Brazilian was then informed that he was no longer eligible for the dismissal of visa because of a trip to Cuba in 2023, when he played the Pan American Championship and a qualifying event for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.
“It’s frustrating to be out of one of the most important competitions of the season because of my control, especially from such positive results,” he said at the time.
