9/20/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

Denmark’s Michael Maze and Germany’s Wu Jiaduo won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart on Sunday 20th September 2009; results that brought both an element of disappointment and an ingredient of delight to the home fans

The disappointment was that at the penultimate stage, Michael Maze overcame the defending champion, Germany’s Timo Boll; the delight, of course, was that the Wu Jiaduo, who served a long apprenticeship before gaining nationality and a place in the national team, clinched the Women’s Singles crown.

 9/19/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

The dreams of Vladimir Samsonov of being crowned European Men’s Singles champion for a record fourth time lay in shreds, following his quarter-final defeat at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart on the evening of Saturday 19th September 2009.

He was beaten in seven games by Austria’s Werner Schlager, the Austrian succeeded 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5.

It was the shock of the round.

Or was it?

 9/19/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

Germany’s Timo Boll and Christian Süss, silver medallists in 2005 at the Volkswagen 48th World Championships in Shanghai, retained their Men’s Doubles crown at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart on Saturday 19th September 2009 beating the Polish duo of Lucjan Blaszczyk and Wang Zengyi at the final hurdle.

They succeeded in six games against the Polish duo, winning 13-11, 4-11, 14-12, 2-11, 11-7, 11-5 having ousted the partnership of Slovenia’s Bojan Tokic and Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic in the semi-finals 16-14, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8.

 9/19/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

On Saturday 19th September 2009, Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska continued her policy of beating higher ranked players at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart; she beat the highest of them all!

The Ukrainian ended the aspirations of the no.1 seed, Austria’s Liu Jia at the quarter-final stage. The champion in Aarhus in 2005, Liu Jia was beaten in seven games by the rising star from Eastern Europe.

Margaryta Pesotska maintained her focus to win 11-6, 11-13, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6.

 9/18/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

Eyes in Stuttgart at the Liebherr European Championships are very much focused on Timo Boll; he is the top seed in the Men’s Singles event and the defending champion.

However, on Friday 18th September 2009 it was another German who attracted the attention and upstaged the top German star.

Ruwen Filus, a player who combines a reliable backspin defensive game with well chosen attacks from both backhand and forehand, was the man to cause the upsets.

 9/18/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

Austria’s Li Qiangbing caused the biggest surprise on the sixth day of action, Friday 18th September 2009, at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart when she ended the progress of former champion and no.2 seed, Li Jiao of the Netherlands in seven games to book her place in the quarter-finals.

Li Qiangbing won 10-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5.

Defeat for Li Jiao and also it was defeat for the players with whom she had secured the gold medal in the Women’s Team event earlier in the week.

 9/18/2009 2009 LIEBHERR European Table Tennis Championships

Moldova’s 11 year old Alina Sandul has stolen the hearts of the crowd at the Liebherr European Championships in Stuttgart

They even supported her against one of their own.

In the second round of the Women’s Singles event on Thursday 17th September 2009, she had to play the leading German star, Wu Jiaduo.

It was a quite daunting prospect playing a major medal contender in front of her home crowd but the visitor delighted the home supporters.