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Masterpiece of all masterpieces in Dortmund!
Saturday, 31 Mar 19:52 2012 Germany is in the final of the LIEBHERR World Championships in Dortmund. Team lead by European super star Timo BOLL overcame Japan in four matches duel to secure ultimate stage of the Team’s Event second time in the row, after they did the same in Moscow 2010. Again, they will meet China tomorrow.
Dimitrij OVTCHAROV opened the encounter with the victory over Jun MIZUTANI, Timo BOLL left no chance to Koki NIWA, whilst Patrick BAUM was the only who suffered yesterday. He lost the duel against Seiya KISHIKAWA.
Timo BOLL admitted after the semi final match: “We feel relieved that we are in the finals. We want to play against China, which is our biggest wish”.
Asked can Chinese won the title again he answered with the question “As to the question if the Chinese will be the World Champion, if not now, when then?”
Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was pleased with his performance but he has no illusions of the enormity of the challenge that lies in front of host team: “My first game was not that easy, as seen on the 3:0. The two sets were very close, but I played very well. I am good at doing it, since a long time now. China has three exceptional talented players, but with the crowd’s support, we can beat them. They are the hardest opponent absolutely. To beat them, we must outgrow them..”
Jörg ROSSKOPF talked about great pressure that team has in Dortmund: “Japan brought best of us. They played in a very high level, but we beat them. The pressure on us was very huge, because everybody expects it from us. Dima was very powerful in his first game. He plays in the best form of his life. There are only few players today, who could play under pressure. These guys deserve to be in the Finals. I am happy for that.”
China will meet Singapore in the final of the Women’s teams Event at the LIEBHERR World Championships in Dortmund. Hong Kong stretched the title holders to the full five matches before FENG Tianwei and Co. prevailed.
It was FENG who suffered in the early stages of the match. After five games thriller KIM Kyung Ah gained opening game advantage. WANG Yuegu then leveled the match with victory over SEOK Ha Jung in another full five sets encounter. DANG Ye Seo easily prevailed against LI Jiawei, but FENG Tianwei and WANG Yuegu managed to achieve another final.
“FENG Tianwei was the brace of our team, who played very good. KIM Kyung Ah’s s style of play was unknown for us, therefore we could not adjust our tactic to her playing system. WANG Yuegu had in the deciding match persistently counteracted although she was always behind those three sets,” Trainer ZHOU Shusen said right after the games.
About the chances on Sunday’s Finals against China ZHOU Shusen said: “We have a very slim chance of winning, I roughly estimate less than one per cent. However we will try our very best.”
In other semi final China overcame Hong Kong.
(by Milica NIKOLIC, EWT)
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Photo: Sold out Dortmund arena for semi-finals (Photo Lomaev)