n the fall they fell but carried on...

The Autumn League 1 2016 has got off to a bumpy start for the top seeds, none of whom managed to go through to the second phase on an unbeaten run.

Reigning National Champion Charles Micallef was the best performer in the short but eventful first phase, dropping just one game out of six, whilst five-time National Champion David Delicata and third seed Nicky Vella Laurenti came out of it badly bruised after suffering more than one defeat at the hands of fearless albeit less skilful opponents.

Noteworthiest among them was Olympian Moses Azzopardi (see photo) who beat the likes of top-six seeds Mario Seychell and Frans Farrugia to place second in his group and qualify automatically to the second phase.

Now finding himself in a group that is not much tougher than the group he qualified from to the second phase, Azzopardi can well fancy his chances of progressing to the knock-out phase. To do so, he will have to fell but not fall.