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(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)
After anchoring Team Puerto Rico to a win earlier in the week, Angel Naranjo saved the biggest prize for himself – winning the Men’s Singles title on the last day of the ITTF-Americas Central American & Caribbean Championships in Santo Domingo.
Naranjo entered as the second seed, and fought his way past Marcos Madrid in the Semifinals to face top seeded Rogelio Castro in the Final. The Final was a seesaw battle with Naranjo dominating the first and third games (11-2 in the first, and 11-3 in the third), but still finding himself down 2-3. At that point, Naranjo found another gear as he swept the final two games for the 4-3 win.
Puerto Rico’s rising star Angel Naranjo delivered a near perfect performance for the week – taking on the only player ranked above him twice, and winning both matches (on his way to a pair of Gold Medals). Some would say the 22 year old has been punching above his weight with occasional big wins, but adding a pair of senior regional gold medals to a growing resume that already included Pan American youth honors, may mean he’s ready to take the next step.
Congratulations to Angel Naranjo on a well-earned title – another exciting chapter for Puerto Rican table tennis and for the region.
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