10/22/2006 SERBIAN Open

All eyes were focused on one player in particular in the Men’s Doubles final at the Serbian Open in Belgrade on Sunday 22nd October 2006; the local man Aleksandar Karakasevic. He was partnering Romania’s Andrei Filimon against the Polish duo of Dániel Gorak and Wang Zeng Yi.

A home victory was what the crowd desired and their star man with his Romanian colleague duly delivered.

Aleksandar Karakasevic is a doubles expert; his wrists, his touch and his feeling for a table tennis ball enable him to create openings for his partner. In Belgrade he did just that in typically exquisite style.

Filimon and Karakasevic made the better start; they won the first game 11-5 but the Poles recovered to clinch the second 11-9 and a thrilling encounter appeared to be in the offing, it was not to be, Filimon and Karakasevic took control.



Third Game
In the third game Filimon and Karakasevic made the better start, they won the first five points before a rather adventurous backhand by the Serbian flew high and wide.

The Polish duo fought but the gap was too great, Filimon and Karakasevic maintained their advantage, they won the game 11-8 and were ahead two-one.

Strange Happenings
Naturally, all eyes were focused on the Men’s Doubles final but in one corner of the stadium, on the practice table two players were warming up for their ensuing encounter.

The players in question were Kostadin Lengerov and Kaii Yoshida, the two players who would face each other in the Men’s Singles final. They were practising together! Furthermore both we wearing Japanese national team shirts, Kaii Yoshida in orange, Kostadin Lengerov in navy blue! Whatever next?

Again
Again in the fourth game Filimon and Karakasevic they made an electric start, strong attacking play was the order of the day and they went one better than in the previous game. They led 6-0 before the Poles replied.

Karakasevic was creating the openings, Filimon was capitalising and the Serbian crowd was in a state of delirium. Filimon and Karakasevic won the game 11-5 to move within one of the title.

Confident
They were full of confidence, both attacked strongly, both believed, they won the fifth game 11-5, the title was theirs, Belgrade rejoiced.

Andrei Filimon and Aleksandar Karakasevic won 1-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5.

It was their first Men’s Doubles title on the ITTF Pro Tour, their previous best being in 2000 when they had reached the semi-final stage at the Croatian Open; six year laters, they had gone two steps further. They were the champions.