Portugal’s Tiago APOLONIA was the surprise name, to complete the opening stage of the Men’s Singles event in first place in his respective group, at the DHS 2014 Europe Cup in Lausanne. “I beat Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and I am in the quarterfinal of the DHS 20, Portugal’s Tiago APOLONIA was the surprise name, to complete the opening stage of the Men’s Singles event in first place in his respective group, at the DHS 2014 Europe Cup in Lausanne. “I beat Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and I am in the quarterfinal of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup. Which date is today? I have to write it down. This is something I would love to remember,” said APOLONIA. In past few weeks Tiago had strong preparations in Saarbrucken. “I worked hard with my club and I kept DHS 2014 Europe Cup in my focus. I knew I could play well, but win over Dimitrij OVTCHAROV exceeded the expectations.” The match went the full distance. “You have to seize any opportunity that occurs if you want to beat OVTCHAROV. It was a close duel, and I took a little bit of the advantage of the fact that he was nervous. I fought for each point. “ Against Robert GARDOS Tiago won in four games. “I was not thinking about game ratio, or had any calculations. I went for win.  I had a chance to pass by with two sets, but I wanted to be sure,” said APOLONIA. After the surgery Tiago won the Olympic qualifications tournament and bronze medal at the European Champions with MONTEIRO in Doubles. “I had a surgery in 2012, but only now I feel like I am back. Finally I can say that I play like I used to play before.”  Follow the event on Facebook and Twitter

The nation that gave the winners at the very last Europe Top 12 held in Lyon 2012, will have the maxim number of participants at newly created DHS 2014 Europe Cup. Both winners from Europe Top 12, the forerunner of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Dimitrij OVTCHA, The nation that gave the winners at the very last Europe Top 12 held in Lyon 2012, will have the maxim number of participants at newly created DHS 2014 Europe Cup. Both winners from Europe Top 12, the forerunner of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and WU Jiaduo will be on duty again in Lausanne from Friday. Not only that OVTCHAROV will be on duty, but he is also the top seed and top favorite for the title again. Player with most of the European titles, his compatriot Timo BOLL heading the list of main challengers, especially after withdrawal of Belarus Vladimir SAMSONOV. National coach Jörg ROSSKOPF has no secrets about his wishes for the final day: “I certainly hope that our two players will meet in the final. In case someone upset the rankings, we will have to keep on fighting in play off matches, since the positions three to eight will lead to the World Cup.” European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was cautious. “I have great respect for all my adversaries at this tournament and I will prepare carefully for every single match. I hope I will produce good game for fans in Lausanne and hopefully good result at the end.” Timo BOLL has a very special reason to qualify for the LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup in October in Düsseldorf. “I will do everything possible in 2014 to be around when one of my favorite tournaments take place already on my doorstep,” said the man who holds the record in titles at the European Championships. BOLL’s name is written twice at the list of winners at the World Cup: in 2002 (Jinan / China) and 2005 (Liège / Belgium). Portuguese Marcos FREITAS and the Romanian Adrian CRISAN , currently listed at position 15 and 17 of the World rankings will try to hold the Germanys aspirations but the danger that comes from defensive artist Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece is not to be underestimated; he is playing in his life form. Bronze from Austria in Singles Event from the European Championships is there to prove it. In Women’s Event Germany is not that strong. WU Jiaduo has won the Women’s Singles title at the European Championships and at the Europe Top 12. 19 year-old Petrissa SOLJA at the LIEBHERR European Championships has won the Women’s Doubles title with Sabine WINTER. However they are listed at the seeding at the positions number six and ten. Men: Tiago APOLONIA (Portugal), Timo BOLL (Germany), Adrian CRISAN (Romania), Marcos FREITAS (Portugal), Andrej GACINA (Croatia), Robert GARDOS (Austria), Panagiotis GIONIS (Greece), Adrien MATTENET (France), Michael MAZE (Denmark), Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany), Alexey SMIRNOV (Russia), Alexander SHIBAEV (Russia). Women: HU Melek (Turkey), LI Jiao (Netherlands), LIU Jia (Austria), Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN (Romania), Rachel MORET (Switzerland), Viktoria PAVLOVICH (Belarus), Margaryta PESOTSKA (Ukraine), Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania), Petrissa SOLJA (Germany), Iventa VACENOVSKA (Czech Republic), WU Jiaduo (Germany). to be confirmed Georgina POTA (Hungary) Follow the event on Facebook and Twitter

Olympic capital, Lausanne, will host prestigious DHS 2014 Europe Cup. From Friday 7th to Sunday 9th February 24 top players from Old Continent will fight for a glorious title and total prize fund of US$ 50,000 with the winner of each of the Men’s Singles , Olympic capital, Lausanne, will host prestigious DHS 2014 Europe Cup. From Friday 7th to Sunday 9th February 24 top players from Old Continent will fight for a glorious title and total prize fund of US$ 50,000 with the winner of each of the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events gaining US$ 8,000. That is not the end of the story – the players finishing in the top three places will qualify the respective Men’s and Women’s World Cup tournaments to be staged later in the year. Furthermore, depending on World Ranking when the invitations are issued for the World Cup tournaments further places may be available; the finishing position is vital, there is a great deal at stake in Lausanne. The list of players who received the invitation starts with the name of top European player Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany. European champion in Singles and bronze medalists at the Olympic games in London confirmed his participation At the forerunner of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, the Europe Top 12, OVTCHAROV won in 2012, the most recent occasion on which the tournament was staged. He will compete alongside other former winners as Belarus Vladimir SAMSONOV, four times winner, third on the all-time list of winners; one behind Timo Boll, who has won five times. BOLL will also be present as seed no. two. SAMSONOV has reached the final of the Europe Top 12 on 12 occasion SHEN Yanfei of Spain will not be on duty in Lausanne and the top seed position took LI Jiao of Netherlands. Crowned European champion in Belgrade in 2007 and once again in Gdansk in 2011, Li Jiao won in Arezzo in 2007; she succeeded the following year in Frankfurt before winning consecutively in Dusseldorf in 2010 and Liège in 2011. Men: Tiago APOLONIA (Portugal), Timo BOLL (Germany), Adrian CRISAN (Romania), Marcos  (Portugal), Andrej GACINA (Croatia), Robert GARDOS (Austria), Panagiotis GIONIS (Greece), Adrien MATTENET (France), Michael MAZE (Denmark), Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany), Vladimir SAMSONOV (Belarus), Alexander SHIBAEV (Russia). Women: Matilda EKHOLM (Sweden), HU Melek (Turkey), LI Jiao (Netherlands), LIU Jia (Austria), Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN (Romania), Rachel MORET (Switzerland), Viktoria PAVLOVICH (Belarus), Margaryta PESOTSKA (Ukraine), Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania), Petrissa SOLJA (Germany), Iventa VACENOVSKA (Czech Republic), WU Jiaduo (Germany) Follow the event on Facebook and Twitter

After a year of struggling Michael MAZE will be back at the international scene this weekend at the DHS Europe Cup in Lausanne. Michael ANDERSSON had an opportunity to meet up with Michael MAZE in late November in Copenhagen. You can read the whole story , After a year of struggling Michael MAZE will be back at the international scene this weekend at the DHS Europe Cup in Lausanne. Michael ANDERSSON had an opportunity to meet up with Michael MAZE in late November in Copenhagen. You can read the whole story here “This is the story about one year of pain, considerable doubt and how important it is to have the drive to eventually come back again.”

Crowned European champion in Aarhus in 2005, Austria’s LIU Jia won the Women’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in the city of Szombathely. LIU Jia secured her fourth career ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles title in what w, Crowned European champion in Aarhus in 2005, Austria’s LIU Jia won the Women’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in the city of Szombathely. LIU Jia secured her fourth career ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles title in what was her ninth appearance in a final. Daniel HABESOHN joined her at the top place at the medal rostrum. Austria’s player overcame Steffen MENGEL in the final of the Men’s Singles Event .Never previously beyond the third round HABESOHN lost the first two games against MENGEL before winning the next four to secure a six games success. The win in Szombathely means that Daniel HABESOHN becomes the second ever Austrian to win an ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles event. The other is Werner SCHLAGER, the 2003 World Champion. In a dramatic final, occupying the no.3 seeded position in the draw, LIU Jia beat the host nation’s Georgina POTA, the no.4 seed, to clinch the top prize. Liu Jia recovered from a three games to one deficit to post a full distance seven games victory. LIU Jia remains the only Austrian ever to win a Women’s Singles title on the ITTF World Tour. The Austrian success in Hungary was almost complete. Sofia POLCANOVA beat Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIRA, the top seed in the final in a close seven games duel to arrest the title, having at the semi-final stage ousted Russia’s Anna BLAZHKO, the no.9 seed. In all French duel in the final of the Under 21 men’s Event Romain LORENTZ overcame Enzo ANGLES. One round earlier it was also French affair; LORENTZ succeeded against Tristan FLORE, whilst ANGLES beat Stephane OUAICHE.

The highest rated player in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Szombathely; Camelia POSTOACA caused the biggest upset of the day in a tournament that has been littered with surprise, The highest rated player in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Szombathely; Camelia POSTOACA caused the biggest upset of the day in a tournament that has been littered with surprises. In an all Romanian third round duel, she beat Elizabeta SAMARA, the no.2 seed, to book her place in the quarter-finals of an ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles event for the first time in her career. However she did not stop there. After seven games thriller she overcame Haruka SAKAI of Japan to secure semi final stage.  Poland’s Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA, another player who had been required to negotiate the qualification stage, accounted for Hungary’s Petra LOVAS, the no.7 seed in quarters, but lost the next round duel against Hungary’s Georgina POTA. Germany’s Sabine WINTER, the no.12 seed, overcame Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIRA, the no.8 seed in quarter, but in next round lost against Netherlands’ LI Jiao. LI Jiao, the no.1 seed, beat Russia’s Yulia PROHOROVA previously; whilst also in the top half of the draw Hungary’s Georgina POTA, the no.4 seed, ended the progress of the Slovak Republic’s Eva ODOROVA. In the lower half of the draw it was success for Austria. LIU Jia, the no.3 seed, halted the brave run of Audrey ZARIF of France and Amelie SOLJA, the no.5 seed, defeated Croatia’s Suncica VUGRINEC. The Austrian players played against each other in semis and LIU Jia prevailed. No World ranking, the progress of the Slovak Republic’s WANG Yang continued in the Men’s Singles event. In the third round of proceedings, he accounted for Tristan FLORE of France in five games, the player who one round earlier had ousted Germany’s Christian SÜSS by a similar margin to which he was to experience defeat. In addition to WANG Yang, Sweden’s Harald ANDERSSON, Poland’s Robert FLORAS, Germany’s Steffen MENGEL and the Czech Republic’s Michal OBESLO all booked quarter-final places and all started their quest in the qualification phase.

Top seed at the Men’s Singles Event at the the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Szombathely Christian SUSS of Germany successfully concluded the opening round of the main draw. However the win did not come easy. He was stretched to full se, Top seed at the Men’s Singles Event at the the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Szombathely Christian SUSS of Germany successfully concluded the opening round of the main draw. However the win did not come easy. He was stretched to full seven games against Hunor SZOCS of Romania. It was SUSS’s first match at this level of the competition after his break. He was forced to go under second knee surgery 10 month ago. At the bottom of the draw Stefan FEGERL of Austria beat Robin DEVOS of Belgium. Unexpected qualifiers for the main draw in the Women’s Singles event players, who had excelled in the first phase, maintained their form in the opening round of the main draw. Against predictions Poland’s Klaudia KUSINSKA, Ukraine’s Ievgeniia VASYLIEVA, the Slovak Republic’s Eva ODOROVA and Serbia’s Viktoria TRUZSINSKI had all emerged in first place in their relevant first phase group matches. All booked second round places. KUSINSKA overcame Slovenia’s Alex GALIC and VASYLIEVA accounted for Germany’s WAN Yuan and Viktoria TRUZSINSZKI ended the hopes of Hungary’s Kata TOTH. Eva ODOROVA defeated Marina BERHO of France. LI Jiao of the Netherlands, the no.1 seed, proved too experienced for Hungary’s Timea PETERMAN-VARGA. Defeat for the host nation but there was success. Georgina POTA, the no.4 seed, defeated Laura PFEFER of France, whilst Petra LOVAS, the no.7 seed defeated Linda CREEMERS of the Netherlands.