What: Europe Smash – major tournament on the table tennis world tour (WTT).
Where: Malmö arena.
When: 17–24 August.
TV: SVT Play.
+ 15 million in the prize pool
The four Grand Smash tournaments are the flagship of the world tour. In addition to the tournament in Malmö, tournaments of the same dignity are held in Singapore, Las Vegas and Beijing this season.
The total prize pool is around 14.9 million kronor (1.55 million dollars). The singles winners receive around 960,000 kronor (100,000 dollars) in prize money – the finalist loses half of that amount. A semi-final spot is worth around 215,000 kronor (22,500 dollars).
Winning a doubles class gives almost 100,000 kronor (10,000 dollars).
+ The world elite on site
On the men's side, all top ten players in the world rankings, except for second-ranked Wang Chuqin, China, will participate. The world ranking is topped by Chinese Lin Shidong.
On the women's side, all top ten players will participate. Chinese Sun Yingsha is the world number one – ahead of four compatriots. 64 players will participate in each singles tournament.
+ The Swedes
A total of twelve Swedes enter the main tournament directly – with world number seven Truls Möregårdh as the big star. Möregårdh recently reached the semi-finals in the World Tour tournament in Japan. He will face Romanian Eduard Ionesco, ranked 62 in the world, in the first round.
Kristian Karlsson got a tough draw – he will face world number four Tomakazu Harimoto, Japan, in the first round. Mattias Falck will face German Patrick Franziska, who is seeded twelfth in the tournament. Anton Källberg, ranked 15th in the world, will face a qualifier.
Linda Bergström is the highest-ranked Swede with her 59th place. She will face compatriot Alma Rööse in the first match.
Both Stina Källberg and Filippa Bergand must pull off an upset in the first round – as world number four Kuai Man, China, and world number six Satsuki Odo, Japan, await.
Elias Ranefur, Adam Wallin, Martin Friis and Nomin Baasan will also participate in the main tournament directly.
+ Doubles pairs
In addition to singles, players such as Kristian Karlsson and Mattias Falck, Truls Möregårdh and Anton Källberg, and Stina Källberg and Linda Bergström will also play doubles.
Sweden also has four pairs starting in mixed doubles, with Karlsson/Källberg and Falck/Bergström as the most merited.
