Champions League Men | 28 Nov 2014

Overwhelming Pontoise sweeps Orenburg

Reigning MECL champion Pontoise Cergy showed one of its best performances ever in this competition, beating away Fakel Gazproma Orenburg 3:0 (9:5) in Round 5 of 2014/15 MECL. Nobody before managed to defeat in that style Vladimir SAMSONOV, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Alexey SMIRNOV on their soil. It was the battle for the top spot of Group A in which both sides now have 4-1 score. Currently Pontoise has better set-ratio, but Russian champion is better in the mutual encounters (Orenburg won in France 3:0/9:3).

Portugal`s hero in the recent 2014 TMS European Championships in Lisbon, Marcos FREITAS (world`s No. 9), who beat Timo BOLL in decisive match of the final, today provided one more big win against one great German. This time he overcame Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (No. 6) in five games of opening match. Actual individual European champion easily won first and third set, while Portuguese reached second and fourth in latest moments (2nd 8:8, 11:8, 3rd 9:9, 11:9). FREITAS made a crucial run in the fifth set when he took six consecutive points (6:4 to 10:4).

In the second match world`s No. 46 Kristian KARLSSON beat No. 10. Vladimir SAMSONOV in five games. Byelorussian managed to level on 2:2 after 0:2 deficit, but Swede was better in the latest moments of the fifth set. KARLSSON needed two set balls to secure 2:0 lead for guests.

Pontoise`s coach Peter FRANZ took a good decision when he set WANG Jian Jun on 3rd position. In all three previous meetings these teams in last six months, Chinese played as no. 2. Today he was unstoppable for Alexey SMIRNOV, for sure the best no. 3 player in MECL in last five seasons.

MECL Round 5, Group A
Fakel Gazproma Orenburg – Pontoise Cergy 0:3
Dimitrij OVTCHAROV – Marcos FREITAS 2:3 (11:3, 8:11, 11:3, 9:11, 8:11)
Vladimir SAMSONOV – Kristian KARLSSON 2:3 (6:11, 7:11, 11:8, 11:4, 10:12)
Alexey SMIRNOV – WANG Jian Jun 1:3 (4:11, 9:11, 11:9, 2:11)

Alex MILETIC, EWT, Alex MILETIC, EWT