On the second day of the IBTA World Blind Tennis Championship in Vilnius, two members of the Lithuanian national team opened the day with two crucial victories, securing their places in the knockout stage of the competition.
Competing in the B1 category, Justas Pažarauskas and Gražvydas Butrimas advanced to the next stage after dramatic matches at SEB Arena filled with tension and tie-breaks.
Pažarauskas defeated Poland’s Sławomir Tolak-Ciszewski 2:4, 5:4(5), 11:9 to move into second place in Group G.
The 34-year-old Vilnius native achieved the biggest success of his sporting career in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, when he became a Paralympic champion in goalball. He switched to tennis after ending his goalball career.
“This is a very important victory for me personally, as this is my first tennis tournament at this level. I’m delighted to have reached the knockout stage. My expectations for the next round? To give it everything I have and fight for every point. It will be really interesting to test myself against even stronger opponents,” Pažarauskas said.
Asked to compare goalball and blind tennis, he admitted that the differences are huge.
“Goalball is a team sport. Even when things are not going well, you can always rely on your teammates. On the other hand, even if you are calm yourself, the tension from the bench and the team can affect you. In tennis, you are completely on your own. You have to manage your game, your plan, your thoughts and your emotions by yourself. I like that.”
Kaunas native Butrimas defeated Germany’s Bernd Wiebe 5:4(7), 4:5(5), 10:5 in the decisive Group F match. The Lithuanian was particularly impressive in the closing stages, winning the final six points of the match.
The B1 knockout stage will begin later this afternoon.
