From across the continent they came, converging in the Iberian Peninsula with a dream of joining the best in the world this summer in Tokyo. On the penultimate day of action at the 2020 European Olympic Singles Qualification Tournament (EOSQ) in Guimarães, Portugal, four players achieved the ultimate aim of the endeavor. In the women's draw, Prithika Pavade (pictured) and Yuan Jia Nan of France each ended the first round with a win, sufficient to secure spots in this summer's supreme sporting spectacle. The veteran Yuan, 35, world #95, guaranteed safe passage with a 4-2 upset win over the host nation's Shao Jieni, world #63. "Until the very last point I did not think I would qualify," confessed Yuan. "I did not dare! Shao is very dangerous. There was not a moment in the match when I realized I could win. In all seven matches I have played here, I was only thinking about the next point." Yuan's junior compatriot Pavade, 16, is ranked #390 in the world. The 34th seed at the EOSQ registered upset after upset to qualify, overcoming third-seeded Yana Noskova of Russia, 4-1 in the deciding match. "I never thought I would be at the Olympic tournament in Japan," marveled Pavade. "I hoped it would happen at Paris 2024. Honestly, I did not dare to dream!... I thought some senior player would be on duty in Guimarães, but here I am." Meanwhile, over in the gentlemen's draw, the first round qualifiers are not from the same country. Their respective homelands do rhyme, though, as Kou Lei and Alvaro Robles successfully flew the flags for Ukraine and Spain. After missing two previous chances to qualify, the 33-year-old Ukrainian Kou Lei was grateful to book his ticket to Tokyo with a 4-2 win over Rares Sipos of Romania. "I was already halted one step too early at the European Games in Belarus and at the World Qualification in Doha," reflected the world #56. "This was my last chance. I am not getting any younger!" For Spain's Alvaro Robles, world #63, home-peninsula advantage provided little peace of mind. "I could not sleep properly at this tournament," shared the sleepless Spaniard. "I was reading books until 2-3 AM every night just to avoid any thinking about what would happen!" While such deprivations might rattle one's nerves, especially in tense moments, the 29-year-old Robles proved his Olympic mettle at a moment of unimaginable pressure. At deuce in the deciding seventh game of the deciding match against Russia's Vladimir Sidorenko, the two traded multiple match points until Robles secured his maiden Olympic voyage, 17-15! "In past years I was living just one dream," said the Tokyo-bound Robles, "to play at the Olympics." For this formidable foursome, the dream is now a reality. For the 22 players in each draw whose dreams have not yet been realized, they will reconvene for a last-chance playoff tomorrow. Who will survive "Selection Sunday"? Stay tuned!

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