2020 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup. Player with most appearances in the history of this event gives his advice to future table tennis stars
The 2020 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup once again will be hosted by the Swiss city of Montreux from Saturday 8th to Sunday 9th February. All Europe’s best players are invited to Salle Omnisport du Pierrier led by last year’s winners Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Petrissa SOLJA of Germany.
No.6 seed Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus actual runner up and former four-time winner is ready to improve one of his records. It will be his 23rd appearance at this prestigious event after his debut in the French city of Dijon in 1995. Then he was the youngest participant now he is the oldest one. Over a span of 25 years he won four titles (Halmstad 1998 Split 1999 Wels 2001 Arezzo 2007) and finished nine times runner-up (Eindhoven 1997 Rotterdam 2002 Saarbrucken 2003 Rennes 2005 Frankfurt 2008 Dusseldorf 2009 and 2010 Liege/Luttich 2011 and Montreux 2019).
Speaking about last year’s edition (lost by Dimitrij OVTCHAROV in the final) SAMSONOV stated that he is satisfied how he played during 2019 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup. Currently he is not sure how good his shape is but he has been always focused on big goals in his career.
“Goal is to reach semi-finals while favourites will be same as the last year ” stated SAMSONOV who didn’t reach main draw at the recent 2020 German Open.
When you play alongside so many good teammates in the club you must be ready to fight against them in biggest international events. Fakel-Gazprom’s SAMSONOV experienced it many times during his career and last year in Montreux he faced OVTCHAROV in the final. Asked how does he feel in this situation he responds simply: “I still want to win.”
Who was the best world’s athlete in 2019 in your opinion?
“In table tennis – the current single world champions. Overall – not sure there are many athletes I probably do not know about”.
What is your plan towards 2020 Olympics?
“First – to qualify”!
Bearing in mind all your experience and achievements what would you advise to kids who are starting to play table tennis?
“Be ready to work hard believe in yourself.”
2020 CCB EUROPE TOP 16 CUP – LIST OF CONFIRMED PLAYERS
Men’s Singles: Mattias FALCK (no.1 seed Sweden) Timo BOLL (no.2 Germany) Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (no.3 Germany) Simon GAUZY (no.4 France) Vladimir SAMSONOV (no.5 Belarus) Liam PITCHFORD (no.6 England) Kristian KARLSSON (no.7 Sweden) Marcos FREITAS (no. 8 Portugal) Jonathan GROTH (no. 9. Denmark) Daniel HABESOHN (no. 10 Austria) Tomislav PUCAR (no.11 Croatia) Robert GARDOS (no.12 Austria) Emmanuel LEBESSON (no.13 France) WANG Yang (no.14 Slovakia) Darko JORGIC (no.15 Slovenia) Lionel WEBER (no.16 Switzerland).
Women’s Singles: Sofia POLCANOVA (no.1 Austria) Bernadette SZOCS (no.2 Romania) Petrissa SOLJA (no.3 Germany) HAN Ying (no.4 Germany) Elizabeta SAMARA (no.5 Romania) Matilda EKHOLM (no.6 Sweden) Margaryta PESOTSKA (no.7 Ukraine) NI Xia Lian (no.8 Luxembourg) Britt EERLAND (no.9 Netherlands) Polina MIKHAILOVA (no.10 Russia) Hana MATELOVA (no.11 Czech Republic) Barbora BALAZOVA (no.12 Slovakia) Natalia PARTYKA (no.13 Poland) Dora MADARASZ (no.14 Hungary) Yana NOSKOVA (no.15 Russia) Rachel MORET (no.16 Switzerland).
