7/2/2006 CHILE Open

Victory for Vladimir Samsonov over Slovakia’s Peter Sereda at the semi-final stage of the Men’s Singles event at the Liebherr Chile Open on Sunday 2nd July 2006 was to a small extent a landmark in the career of the man from Belarus.

Including Grand Finals, it marks the twentieth time that he has reached the final of a Men’s Singles event on the ITTF Pro Tour.

By contrast the victory by Austria’s Robert Gardos over Portugal’s João Monteiro marks his first appearance in a Men’s Singles final on the ITTF Pro Tour!

Second Time
It was the second time in 2006 that Vladimir Samsonov and Peter Sereda had met in World Ranking events; the previous occasion being at the Liebherr World Team Championships in Bremen in April. On that occasion, Vladimir Samsonov won in three straight games.

In Santiago, Vladimir Samsonov won again; he prevailed 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8.

Mistakes
“The games were quite close but in the fourth game he made some mistakes and that turned matters in my favour”, said Vladimir Samsonov. “I felt towards the end of the match, I was playing really well, I’m pleased with how I played.”

Drama
However, the match was not without its moments of drama, the problem was that those moments were not caused by either Samsonov or Sereda!

“Early in the match we had to stop”, smiled Samsonov. “In the third game, he was leading 9-5 and the lights went out!” Later in the contest there was another enforced break in play, some of the screws from one of the lights fell to the floor near where Belarus coach, Alexander Petkevitch, was sitting. Staff removed the covering to the offending light, picked up the screws and the match re-commenced!

Vladimir Samsonov took control of the contest, Sereda gave his best and any drama was provided by extraneous sources.

Third Appearance
Meanwhile, for Robert Gardos, it was his third appearance in a Men’s Singles semi-final on the ITTF Pro Tour.

Two years ago in Chile he had lost at the penultimate stage to the Czech Republic’s Marek Klasek in six games, whilst in the same year at the Eurosib St Petersburg Open, he came within a whisker of the final. He won the first two games of his semi-final encounter but lost in seven games to Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece, the eventual winner.

Omen
Perhaps, in Santiago, there was an omen; on the two previous occasions that Robert Gardos had reached the semi-final stage, Kalinikos Kreanga had won the tournament; the Greek star beat Marek Klasek in seven games in the final in Chile in 2004.

In Santiago in 2006 Kalinikos Kreanga wasn’t present!

Fast Start
Robert Gardos took control of affairs from the very start. “I made a really good start”, said Gardos. “He had problems returning my service and I received well, I kept varying my service, many changes.”

The Austrian did vary his service but he was too fast for the man from Lisbon in the first two games.

Adjusted in Third Game
“He didn’t adjust until the third game, in the first two games he served half long and I was able to attack the service”, continued Gardos. “Also, I was becoming more and more tense, I could see the winning post; I was getting nearer and nearer to victory.”

The Austrian maintained his concentration, he maintained his composure.”After the second game he played well, he’s a good player”, added Gardos. “He served short, I couldn’t attack his service; then it was hard, really hard.”

Robert Gardos won 11-4, 11-5, 14-12, 9-11, 11-7 and was in the final, a major landmark in his career had been achieved.