10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

Top seed Chen Qi won the Men’s Singles title at the Liebherr Austrian Open in Wels on Sunday 28th October 2007 beating Spain’s He Zhi Wen in the final, a player who is almost twice his age.

Chen Qi is twenty three years old, He Zhi Wen is forty-five.

It was Chen Qi’s second consecutive Men’s Singles win on the ITTF Pro Tour; one week ago he won in St Petersburg at the Eurosib Russian Open beating colleague Li Ping in five games in the final; in Wels one week later he secured the top prize in one game less.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

China’s Zhang Yining justified her status as the top seed in the Women’s Singles event at the Liebherr Austrian Open in Wels by beating, third seed and national team colleague, Guo Yan in the final.

The reigning Olympic champion had never been seriously threatened on her way to the final, she had not dropped one single game, whilst for Guo Yan, it had been slightly different.

No great problems until the semis but then her penultimate round victory over Wang Nan was a contest that went the full seven games distance.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

Singapore’s Gao NIng and Yang Zi, who have been so close to gold on so many occasions on the ITTF Pro Tour, went that vital one step higher at the Liebherr Austrian Open in Wels.

They clinched the Men’s Doubles title beating Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching, the winners seven days previously at the Eurosib Russian Open, in the final.

Gao Ning and Yang Zi won 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 14-12.

One week earlier in St Petersburg Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching had tasted gold, one week later the taste was silver.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

Japan’s Ai Fukuhara and Sayaka Hirano won the Women’s Doubles title at the Liebherr Austrian Open in Wels on Sunday 28th October 2007 beating Hong Kong’s Lin Ling and Tie Yana in the final.

The duo, who beat China’s Wang Nan and Zhang Yining in the quarters before ousting Gao Jun of the United States and Shen Yanfei of Spain in the semis, maintained the form they had displayed the previous day.

In most impressive style they won 11-7, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

China’s twenty-three old Chen Qi reached the final of the Men’s Singles event at the Liebherr Austrian Open on Sunday 28th October 2007, beating Hong Kong’s Li Ching at the semi-final stage.

In a contest between top seed and the number four seed matters went according to ranking; the higher rated player duly prevailed.

Chen Qi, a young man who can rise to quite incredible heights and play breathtaking table tennis maintained his concentration throughout the duel to win in five games.

He succeeded 11-7, 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

Guo Yan reached her thirteenth career Women’s Singles final on the ITTF Pro Tour when she beat Wang Nan at the semi-final stage in Wels at the Liebherr Austrian Open on Sunday 28th October 2007.

In the contest between two members of the Chinese national team, Guo Yan, the number three seed, prevailed against Wang Nan, the number two seed, in a tense seven games encounter.

Guo Yan won 11-1, 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 14-16, 5-11, 12-10.

The match in some respects typified the career of Wang Nan.

 10/28/2007 2007 LIEBHERR Austrian Open

The word amazing is often used when a word of lesser magnitude might be more appropriate but surely it is the right word to use when describing the efforts of the indefatigable He Zhi Wen of Spain.

For the first time in his career he has reached the final of a Men’s Singles event on the ITTF Pro Tour.

At the Liebherr Austrian Open, he beat Germany’s Bastian Steger in five games at the semi-final stage to reserve his place at the top table. He Zhi Wen won 11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.