Member Associations | 7 Mar 2010

RASANEN and NYBERG clinched Finnish national titles

07/03/2010 – Mika RASANEN, 35, took his third Finnish Men? Singles title in Tampere on Sunday. In the final RASANEN beat the biggest favorite and national ranking’s number one, Benedek OLAH, 4-2. Sixteen years younger Benedek, called “Pe

07/03/2010 – Mika RASANEN, 35, took his third Finnish Men? Singles title in Tampere on Sunday. In the final RASANEN beat the biggest favorite and national ranking’s number one, Benedek OLAH, 4-2. Sixteen years younger Benedek, called “Pentti” in Finland, thus still waiting for his first title. OLAH? parents are from Hungary but the family has been living in Finland more than 20 years.

“Mika played extremely well in the final”, said Pasi VALASTI, 40 years old , who lost his semifinal to OLAH 2-4. VALASTI, who has been playing altogether 18 times in the singles final, got a small compensation for his semifinal loss by taking gold medal in men? doubles with Mika TUOMOLA, another experienced 40 years old player from Tampere.

RASANEN overcame Timo TAMMINEN in semifinal and that preserved Event from any surprises. However, in quarter finals, RASANEN was very near to defeat in the match against Toni SOINE, RASANEN succeded in narrowest margins – 3:4 with the two last games won by 10-12.

Hanna NYBERG took her second title in Women? Singles by beating only 14 years old Pinja ERIKSSON 4-2 in the final. Mother and daughter Svetlana and Anna KIRICHENKO took their first Women? doubles title. At the end Pentti OLAH got one title from the competition: together with Henrika PUNNONEN Olah is a new Finnish champion in Mixed doubles. Mixed is played really seldom in Finland.

The game was in one sense very equal: not a single player was able to take more than one national title. Henrika PUNNONEN collected three podium positions with one gold, one silver and one third place.

Mixed Doubles
1. Pentti OLAH/Henrika PUNNONEN SeSi/KuPTS 11-7, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9
2. Julius MUINONEN/Jannika OKSANEN Tip-70
3. Leo KIVELA/Hanna NYBERG Tip-70
3. Samuli SOINE/Emma ROLIG PT Espoo/MBF

Women’s Doubles
1. Svetlana KIRICHENKO/Anna KIRICHENKO PT Espoo 12-10, 11-6, 3-11, 11-9
2. Larisa KOGIYA/Henrika PUNNONEN Spinni/KuPTS
3. Hanna NYBERG/Jannika OKSANEN Tip-70
3. Sannamari B??IUS/Pinja ERIKSSON MBF

Men’s Doubles
1. Pasi VALASTI/Mika TUOMOLA PT 75 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9
2. Timo TAMMINEN/Toni SOINE PT Espoo
3. Mika RASANEN/Manu KARJALAINEN Wega
3. Pekka ?EN/Tuomas PERKKI??T-86

Women’s Singles
1. Hanna NYBERG Tip-70 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9
2. Pinja ERIKSSON MBF
3. Larisa KOGIYA Spinni
3. Henrika PUNNONEN KuPTS

Men’s Singles
1. Mika RASANEN Wega 11-7, 7-11, 5-11, 11-3, 12-10, 12-10
2. Pentti OLAH SeSi
3. Timo TAMMINEN PT Espoo
3. Pasi VALASTI PT 75

(by Esko HEIKKINEN, courtesy of FTTA)

Photo: Hanna NYBERG (by courtesy of ITTF)

EWT, EWT

OFFICIAL ETTU PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS

ETTU OFFICIAL PARTNERS

ETTU SUPPLIERS POOL MEMBERS