by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Play in the Team event comprised six matches, a “kill zone” contest where the first player to secure five points emerged successful followed by an engagement where matches were played over a 24 minute period with each game being to 11 points; the game stopped at 11 points, a player did not have to be two points clear. It was the formula followed throughout the whole competition.
Fielding Jun Mizutani, Joo Saehyuk and Mattias Karlsson with Suthasini Sawettabut, Shi Xunyao and Bernadette Szocs being the female members of the line-up; Team Persson provided the opposition in the final.
On Friday 8th December, in the Team final Timo Boll secured the kill zone game against Jun Mizutani, before sharing the spoils (2-2) in the 24 minute match. Yang Haeun lost the kill zone game in opposition to Suthasini Sawettabut but then won the longer version (4-1). Matters concluded with Chen Chien-An overcoming Joo Saehyuk (3-2) having lost the shorter version.
The concluding day at the T2 Asia Pacific League
A day’s respite, on the concluding day the contest continued on the same formula; Feng Tianwei experienced defeats in both matches against Shi Xunyao, losing the 24 minute (4-1) . Alexander Shibaev entered the fray to give what was to prove a telling advantage for Team Maze; success in both forms was posted against Mattias Karlsson in both formats, a feat repeated by Hina Hayata against Bernadette Szocs. In the timed matches Alexander Shibaev (4-1) and Hina Hayata (5-2) were in commanding form.
Overall matters ended with a 20-13 success for Team Maze in opposition to Team Persson.
Disappointment for Bernadette Szocs but earlier in the weekend, she had won the Women’s individual title overcoming Liu Fei (3-2) in the semi-final and Feng Tianwei (5-3) in the final; in the counterpart semi-final Feng Tianwei had beaten Shi Xunyao (3-1).
The Team title and Women’s individual title secured; the Men’s Individual event concluded matters; Timo Boll having beaten Chuang Chih-Yuan at the semi-final stage (3-2), secured the top prize at the expense of German colleague, Dimitrij Ovtcharov (3-1); in the counterpart semi-final, Dimitrij Ovtcharov had accounted for Jun Mizutani (3-1).
A rest for the likes of Jun Mizutani and Bernadette Szocs but not for other leading names; the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals commences on Thursday 14th December in Asatana, Kazakhstan.
T2APAC: Full details