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Thursday proved to be one of Team Malta’s most challenging days yet at the XX Mediterranean Games in Taranto, with athletes competing across tennis, sailing and badminton. The day’s highlight came on the tennis court, where the men’s doubles pair fought back from a set down in front of a partisan home crowd.
Tennis
Alex Degabriele and Liam Delicata faced home pair Carlo Caniato and Filippo Romano in a nail-biting men’s doubles quarterfinal. The Italians had the advantage of a crowd firmly behind them, and every point they won was met with a roar. Malta dropped the opening set 3-6 and, with the home support growing louder, could easily have let the match slip. Instead, the Maltese pair dug in. They edged a tense second set 7-5 to level the match, then stayed composed in the deciding tiebreak — shutting out the noise to close it out and win 2-1.
Malta’s tennis campaign at the XX Mediterranean Games in Taranto continued later on in the evening when Elaine Genovese was in action twice on a demanding day of competition. In the ladies singles’ event, Genovese came up against Morocco’s Yasmine Kabbaj, battling through a tightly contested opening set before eventually going down 7-5, 6-1. She then returned to court alongside Alex De Gabriele in the mixed doubles, where the Maltese pair faced a strong Spanish duo in Lucia Cortez Llorca and Sanchez Quilez, who took the match 6-1, 6-2. A challenging draw and hot conditions in Taranto made for a tough assignment, but both athletes gave a committed account of themselves against tough opposition.
Sailing
Maltese sailors competing in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes raced in a light sea breeze, with race one getting underway in 10–12 knots before conditions eased to 5–8 knots for the second race. The team got off to a solid start, with Mia Busuttil finishing third in the opening race. With a fleet featuring sailors who hold World and European championship titles, consistency will be key as racing continues over the coming days.
Badminton
Francesca and Martina Clark were edged out 2-1 by Greece at the Francavilla Sport Hall in a match that went the full distance. Greece took the opening game 21-10, but the Maltese pair responded strongly to level the tie with a 21-19 win in the second. The deciding game was tight throughout, with both pairs trading points to the very end before Lamprianidou and Moutevelidou closed it out 23-21.
Malta returns to competition on Friday, with Liam Delicata taking on Ioannis Xylas in the men’s singles third round in the evening, while the sailing team will contest two races during the day.
