Other Events | 25 Oct 2014

Timo BOLL vs Asia the World Cup verdict

In the semi final of the 2014 LIEBHERR World Cup MA Long of China will play against Jun MIZUTANI of Japan and Chinese ZHANG Jike will meet Timo BOLL of Germany. Timo BOLL, the Men’s World Cup winner in 2002 and 2005, occupying the no.6 seeded position in

In the semi final of the 2014 LIEBHERR World Cup MA Long of China will play against Jun MIZUTANI of Japan and Chinese ZHANG Jike will meet Timo BOLL of Germany.

Timo BOLL, the Men’s World Cup winner in 2002 and 2005, occupying the no.6 seeded position in the draw accounted for colleague, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, the no.3 seed, in four straight games and thus reversed the result of one year. At the LIEBHERR 2013 Men’s World Cup was staged in the Belgian town of Verviers, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV had overcome Timo BOLL in five straight games  to secure third place.

It is the eighth time in what is now 13 appearances in the Men’s World Cup that Timo BOLL has reached the penultimate round. Previously, he progressed to the last four in Jinan in 2002 and three years later in Liège; on both occasions continuing his path of success to emerge as the champion.

Later he advanced to the semi-final round in Barcelona in 2007, one year after in Liège and in 2010 in Magdeburg. Meanwhile, in his most recent appearances, prior to the tournament in Dusseldorf he reserved a last day appearance in Liverpool in 2012 and one year ago in Verviers.

In the quarterfinal MA beat Portugal’s Tiago Aplonia in straight games. “In the first two games I had my chances at a 4:0 and 6:3 lead, where I played really well. However the longer the game went, MA Long was better and better .”

In the Round of 16 at the LIEBHERR 2014 Men’s World Cup in Düsseldorf two duels with the players from the same national association faced each other. Marcos FREITAS at the recent TMS 2014 European Team Championships, lost just one match throughout the whole tournament; beaten by Timo BOLL in the group stage fixture against Germany. Conversely, en route to the final, Tiago had won just one of his five encounters before finding form to beat Dimitrij OVTCHAROV in the final against Germany. Today Tiago APOLONIA, the no.9 seed overcame Marcos FREITAS, the no.7 seed in straight games.

“4:0 sounds easy, but it was not an easy game. Such thing does not exist anymore on this level. I had the advantage of having already yesterday played two matches, he came out cold in the tournament, but I have also played well. I managed to play very aggressive”, said the world number 17th APOLONIA after the win.

Chinese Taipei’s CHIANG Chih-Yuan, the no.5 seed, accounted for his compatriot CHEN Chien-An, the no.11 seed.

MA Long beat Japan’s Kenta MATSUDAIRA, the no.12 seed, in four straight games; Jun MIZUTANI accounted for Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece, the no.10 seed. “I started very badly in the first set. I felt a little tired from yesterday and the hall and the floor do not suit me. Yet I still came into the game and have a 6:2 lead in the second set. After that it was very difficult for me “, said Borussia Düsseldorf’s defender GIONIS.

Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the best-ranked European on duty in Dusseldorf beat Kamal Sharat ACHANTA of India. However his adversary put him under severe pressure. “ACHANTA played very well, we know each other well. In the end of the sixth game I made some easy mistakes. It is not that I’ve thought of a possible quarterfinal against Timo. Such mistakes I do not do. The match was ok for the first round. I am still recovering my shape. However I still suffering from my training deficit, due to holidays, infection and tooth surgery…It affects my self-confidence,” said OVTCHAROV.