| Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor | |
| Hao Shuai Captures First Career ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Crown | |
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Twenty-three year old Hao Shuai maintained Chinese pride when he won the Men’s Singles title at the Croatian Open in Zagreb on Saturday 20th January 2007. In a tournament where the top four Chinese male stars had all bowed out in round three, Hao Shuai maintained his concentration and in six games he beat the defending champion, Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus. Hao Shuai won 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 9-11, 13-11, 12-10. |
| High Notes The rising Chinese star ended 2006 on a high note; he won the Men’s Doubles crown at the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals in December in partnership with Ma Long, the duo beating the reigning Olympic champions Chen Qi and Ma Lin in a gripping seven games final. In Zagreb Hao Shuai has made the perfect start to 2007 and the player who so often has been the `Nearly Man’ is the champion and a very creditable champion. Not Selected He was left out the Chinese team for the Asian Games in Doha being present only in the capacity of being a practice partner, whilst he suffered in 2005 at the Volkswagen 48th World Championships in Shanghai when he led Michael Maze by three games to nil, held a string of match points, had the Dane on his knees and failed to capitalise. The memory must still haunt him but perhaps he can now lay those ghosts to rests. He won the Men’s Singles title at an ITTF Pro Tour tournament that arguably saw the strongest field ever assembled in the eleven year history of the competition. Winner Takes It All It was the second time in a World ranking event that the two had met. The first occasion was one year ago in the quarter-finals of the Men’s Singles event at the Liebherr Croatian Open. On that occasion Vladimir Samsonov won in six games, in 2007 Hao Shuai levelled matters. The Chinese rising star won in six games and when the two meet whoever has won has become the champion. In 2006 it was Vladimir Samsonov in 2007 it is Hao Shuai. |
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