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Hubert Gueriau, Press Officer, Ian Marshall
Greek Star Causes Opening Match Upset to Beat Defending Champion in Paris

Photo By: Rémy Gros

Timo Boll, the defending champion, beaten by Kalinikos Kreanga in Paris


Kalinikos Kreanga, one of the world’s most exciting players, caused the first upset of the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Paris on Friday 27th October 2006 when he beat the defending champion, Germany’s Timo Boll, in the opening match in Group B.

It was a surprise result, especially as the Greek star has not been in the best of form in the last twelve months in the international arena.

Meanwhile, Timo Boll recently won the Men’s Singles title at the Panasonic China Open in September beating Wang Liqin, the reigning World Champion, in the final.

Kalinikos Kreanga beat Timo Boll 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 13-11.

Dangerous
“It was a good game, he played really well in the opening game”, said Kalinikos Kreanga. “I was lucky and in the fifth game he was 7-3 ahead and I won.” The Greek is one of the world’s most dangerous players and once he is in a rhythm, he is unstoppable.

“Timo is the favourite but I said before we started that I could beat him”, continued Kalinikos Kreanga. “However, the win means nothing yet, I’m just taking it match by match.”

Opportunity
The Greek star who plays for Hennebont in the French League now has a golden opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals and a win later on the opening day of play against Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin will see him through.

For Boll, considered by many as one of the favourites to win the Liebherr Men’s World Cup, life has just become harder. The next opponent is Vladimir Samsonov, the man he lost against one year ago in the Liebherr Men’s World Cup when it was staged in neighbouring Belgium.

Accelerated
Vladimir Samsonov in his opening match beat El-Sayed Lashin, the man from Belarus, twice winner of the Men’s World Cup, made a slow start but then accelerated in his usual smooth fashion. However, the fact that the Egyptian extended Vladimir Samsonov to five games indicates that he can cause the world’s leading players’ problems.

Vladimir Samsonov wom 4-11, 11-6, 11-1, 13-11, 11-2.


Listen to an interview with Timo Boll, click on his name below
Timo Boll (GER)
       
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Archive
Date Title
11/6/2006 A well dressed table
10/29/2006 Ma Lin Champion for Unprecedented Fourth Time
10/29/2006 Ma Lin Crowned Champion for the Fourth Time
10/29/2006 Wang Liqin Clinches Third Place at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Paris
10/29/2006 Wang Hao Beats Vladimir Samsonov to Make it an All Chinese Final in Paris
10/29/2006 Ma Lin Beats World Champion to Reach the Final of the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/28/2006 Top Chinese Stars Reach Penultimate Stage
10/28/2006 Chinese Stars Book Semi-Final Places at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/28/2006 Semi-Finalists Decided in Paris
10/28/2006 Damien Eloi Departs as French Hopes End at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/28/2006 Werner Schlager Once Again Shows his Liking for Paris
10/28/2006 Vladimir Samsonov Beats Kalinikos Kreanga but Both Reach Quarter-Finals
10/28/2006 Belgian Star Fights in Trademark Style but Austrian Prevails in Paris
10/27/2006 Did You Know?
10/27/2006 Defending Champion Exits on Opening Day
10/27/2006 Wang Hao Joins Compatriots in Second Stage at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/27/2006 Ma Lin Progresses to the Last Eight and Patrick Chila Wins Cliffhanger
10/27/2006 Defending Champion, Timo Boll, Exits Liebherr World Cup in Paris
10/27/2006 Wang Liqin Reverses the Result of Earlier in 2006 to Reserve a Last Eight Place
10/27/2006 Chuan Chih-Yuan in the Fast Lane whilst Damien Eloi Tests Wang Hao in Paris
10/27/2006 Ma Lin and Werner Schlager Survive Opening Encounters but Both are Tested
10/27/2006 Greek Star Causes Opening Match Upset to Beat Defending Champion in Paris
10/27/2006 Wang Liqin Makes an Impressive Start at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/26/2006 The First Goal is a Place in the Last Eight
10/26/2006 The First Goal is a Place in the Last Eight at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Paris
10/26/2006 The First Goal is a Place in the Last Eight at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Paris
10/26/2006 Hear what the players said after the Draw in Paris
10/25/2006 Mixed Memories as Wang Liqin Aims for a First in Paris
10/24/2006 German Star Well Prepared to Defend his Title at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup
10/19/2006 Korean Players Cancel Entry
9/15/2006 Travel and Accommodation Forms
9/1/2006 List of Invited Players for Paris Now Known
8/27/2006 LIEBHERR Men's World Cup - Press and Media
2/14/2006 LIEBHERR Men's World Cup in Paris
10/23/2005 Best Ever
10/23/2005 My Best Ever Tournament
10/23/2005 Bronze For China
10/23/2005 German Progress Continues
10/23/2005 Authority Asserted Again
10/23/2005 Timo, Timo, Timo
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