Timo Boll Wins Pre-Olympic Tournament in Hamm

Courtesy of ETTU

German beat Vladimir SAMSONOV 3:0 (11:8, 11:3, 11:7) in the final game

Two legend of European table tennis met in the final of pre-Olympic tournament in Germany’s city of Hamm, as Timo BOLL defeated Vladimir SAMSONOV in straight games 3:0 (11:8, 11:3, 11:7). Six times individual champion of Old Continent won all four his matches in two days, but most exciting one was held in the semi-final against his compatriot Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. BOLL won after full seven games, taking first three in a row – 4:3 (11:7, 11:3, 12:10, 9:11, 7:11, 9:11, 11:9).

Byelorussian beat Bastian STEGER in the six games of the semis. Due to an intensive week, SAMSONOV and BOLL agreed to play the best of five final. The winner got 2,500 Euros, while overall prize money was 5,000.

About 2,000 people witnessed event which gathered the best European players. In Hamm played: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (no. 5 at the world rankings), Timo BOLL (no. 14), Bastian STEGER (no. 24), Patrick FRANZISKA (no. 51) all from Germany, Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus (no.9), Alexander SHIBAEV of Russia (no. 23), Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece (no. 26), KOU Lei of Ukraine (no. 43), Liam PITCHFORD (no. 49), Paul DRINKHALL (no. 58), Samuel WALKER (no. 129) all from England and guest from Qatar LI Ping (no. 28).

Final (best of five)

Timo BOLL – Vladimir SAMSONOV 3:0 (11:8, 11:3, 11:7)

Semi-finals (best of seven)

Dimitrij OVTCHAROV – Timo BOLL 3:4 (7:11,3:11, 10:12, 11:9, 11:7, 11:9, 9:11)
Vladimir SAMSONOV – Bastian STEGER 4:2 (11:4, 11:5, 11:5, 7:11, 9:11, 13:11)

Group A

1. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 2-0
2. Paul Drinkhall 1-1
3. LI Ping 0-2

LI – DRINKHALL 0:3 (5:11, 6:11, 9:11)
OVTCHAROV – LI 3:1 (11:9, 11:7, 8:11, 12:10)
OVTCHAROV – DRINKHALL 3:1 (9:11, 11:4, 11:6, 11:8)

Group B

1. Vladimir SAMSONOV 2-0
2. Patrick FRANZISKA 1-1
3. KOU Lei 0-2

KOU – FRANZISKA 2:3 (11:3, 6:11, 9:11, 12:10, 5:11)
SAMSONOV – KOU 3:0 (11:4, 11:7, 11:9)
SAMSONOV – FRANZISKA 3:0 (11:7, 11:7, 11:8)

Group C

1. Timo BOLL 2-0
2. Liam PITCHFORD 1-1
3. Panagiotis GIONIS 0-2

GIONIS – PITCHFORD 2:3 (8:11, 8:11, 11:7, 11:2, 8:11)
BOLL – GIONIS 3:1 (5:11, 11:6, 11:8, 11:9)
BOLL – PITCHFORD 3:0 (11:3, 13:11, 11:1)

Group D

1. Bastian STEGER 2-0
2. Alexander SHIBAEV 1-1
3. Samuel WALKER 0-2

STEGER – WALKER 3:2 (5:11, 11:8, 8:11, 11:9, 11:7)
SHIBAEV – WALKER 3:2 (10:12, 5:11, 11:9, 11:7, 11:9)
SHIBAEV – STEGER 2:3 (5:11, 11:8, 8:11, 11:6, 6:11)