An unexpected incident interrupted the WTT Contender tournament in Buenos Aires, as a significant fire broke out at the Olympic Park’s Pabellón América around 7:30 PM. At that time, Brazilian table tennis player Hugo Calderano, currently ranked third in the world, was in the midst of his round of 16 match against seasoned Portuguese competitor Tiago Apolonia.
Earlier in the day, Taiwan’s Liao Cheng-Ting had successfully completed his match against India’s Harmeet Desai, leaving only three matches remaining: Nagasaki-Cheonhui, Watanabe-Cheng, both in the women’s bracket, and Shinozuka-Cifuentes, featuring a local favorite.
Due to the emergency situation, local authorities ordered an evacuation of the stadium and suspended all activities “until further notice.” Firefighters and police quickly responded to the scene to manage and extinguish the blaze, ensuring the venue would be safe to resume the tournament.
The remainder of the day’s matches has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday starting at 10:00 AM. Notably, Horacio Cifuentes is set to play at 10:35 AM, and the venue will later be cleared to allow entry for fans holding tickets for the day’s events.
Despite the disruption, the Argentine fans remain hopeful, especially with the exciting performances of Cifuentes and the reliable Calderano, who secured his quarterfinal spot by defeating Apolonia with a score of 3-1. Calderano will next face Liao Cheng-Ting, while German player Ricardo Walther awaits the outcome of the match between Cifuentes and Hiroto Shinozuka, another top seed in the competition.
This incident, while unfortunate, highlights the resilience of the tournament and the enthusiasm of the fans who are eager to witness the continuation of this prestigious event.