DaveR
04-23-2008, 01:39 PM
http://www.ittf.com/stories/pictures/samsonov_22_04_08_Large.jpg
Vladimir Samsonov, the number one seed in the Men's Singles event in Santiago
CHILE Open (http://www.ittf.com/competitions/competitions2.asp?Competition_ID=1703&category=pt)
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the most successful player on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2008, is the number one seed at the Chile Open which starts in the country’s capital city, Santiago, on Wednesday 23rd April 2008.
Winner of the Men’s Singles titles at the Slovenian and Salwa Cup Kuwait Open Topurnaments earlier in the year, he has won on two of his three ITTF Pro Tour starts, the one hiccup being at the Erke Qatar Open when he was beaten in round three by Romania’s Adrian Crisan.
Furthermore, he will be seeking to regain his Men’s Singles title at the Chile Open; in 2006 he won the title beating Austria’s Robert Gardos in a nail-biting final.
Defending Champion on Duty
One year ago he was not on duty, the title going the way of Japan’s Kan Yo, who repeated the success he had enjoyed one week earlier at the Liebherr Brazil Open; in Brazil he beat Singapore’s Gao Ning in the final and in Chile, Hong Kong’s Tang Peng.
Improvement Sought
In 2008 Gao NIng is the number three seed in the Men’s Singles event at the Chile Open with Kan Yo seeded six and Tang Peng eight. All three will be seeking to improve on their performances at last week’s Brazil Open in Belo Horizonte when one after another they exited proceedings in the second round.
Seeded one Gao Ning lost to Korea’s Lee Sang Su, Kan Yo was toppled by the eventual champion Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi and the man who was to finish in the runners up spot, Kim Jung Hoon, also from Korea, ended the aspirations of Tang Peng.
Illustrious Korean
Fine performances from the Koreans in Belo Horizonte and in Santiago another Korean joins the party, Ryu Seung Min, the reigning Olympic champion, he is seeded two.
Meanwhile, the effervescent Li Ching of Hong Kong is the fourth seed with Chinese Taipei’s Chuan Chih-Yuan seeded five and the Belgian warrior, Jean-Michel Saive, seeded eight.
Medallists Present
Keen competition is undoubtedly to be expected with last year’s medallists all on duty and it is the same in the Women’s Singles event where all four semi-finalist from 2007 are on duty.
Defending champion, Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun is present; as is Japan’s Sayaka Hirano and the two ladies who exited at the penultimate stage, Hong Kong’s Tie Yana and Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei.
Seeds
Jiang Huajun is seeded two with Sayaka Hirano been seeded six, Tie Yana seeded three and Sun Bei Bei seeded seven.
Top seed is Singapore’s Li Jia Wei who one year ago had to withdraw through injury whilst Lia Jiao of the Netherlands is seeded four, Kim Kyung Ah od Korea seeded five and the rapidly improving Feng Tianwei of Singapore, seeded eight.
Schedule
Play commences with the qualification stage of both the Men’s and Women’s Singles events on Wednesday 23rd April with the main draw commencing on Friday 25th April and the finals being played on Sunday 27th April 2008.
Vladimir Samsonov, the number one seed in the Men's Singles event in Santiago
CHILE Open (http://www.ittf.com/competitions/competitions2.asp?Competition_ID=1703&category=pt)
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the most successful player on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2008, is the number one seed at the Chile Open which starts in the country’s capital city, Santiago, on Wednesday 23rd April 2008.
Winner of the Men’s Singles titles at the Slovenian and Salwa Cup Kuwait Open Topurnaments earlier in the year, he has won on two of his three ITTF Pro Tour starts, the one hiccup being at the Erke Qatar Open when he was beaten in round three by Romania’s Adrian Crisan.
Furthermore, he will be seeking to regain his Men’s Singles title at the Chile Open; in 2006 he won the title beating Austria’s Robert Gardos in a nail-biting final.
Defending Champion on Duty
One year ago he was not on duty, the title going the way of Japan’s Kan Yo, who repeated the success he had enjoyed one week earlier at the Liebherr Brazil Open; in Brazil he beat Singapore’s Gao Ning in the final and in Chile, Hong Kong’s Tang Peng.
Improvement Sought
In 2008 Gao NIng is the number three seed in the Men’s Singles event at the Chile Open with Kan Yo seeded six and Tang Peng eight. All three will be seeking to improve on their performances at last week’s Brazil Open in Belo Horizonte when one after another they exited proceedings in the second round.
Seeded one Gao Ning lost to Korea’s Lee Sang Su, Kan Yo was toppled by the eventual champion Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi and the man who was to finish in the runners up spot, Kim Jung Hoon, also from Korea, ended the aspirations of Tang Peng.
Illustrious Korean
Fine performances from the Koreans in Belo Horizonte and in Santiago another Korean joins the party, Ryu Seung Min, the reigning Olympic champion, he is seeded two.
Meanwhile, the effervescent Li Ching of Hong Kong is the fourth seed with Chinese Taipei’s Chuan Chih-Yuan seeded five and the Belgian warrior, Jean-Michel Saive, seeded eight.
Medallists Present
Keen competition is undoubtedly to be expected with last year’s medallists all on duty and it is the same in the Women’s Singles event where all four semi-finalist from 2007 are on duty.
Defending champion, Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun is present; as is Japan’s Sayaka Hirano and the two ladies who exited at the penultimate stage, Hong Kong’s Tie Yana and Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei.
Seeds
Jiang Huajun is seeded two with Sayaka Hirano been seeded six, Tie Yana seeded three and Sun Bei Bei seeded seven.
Top seed is Singapore’s Li Jia Wei who one year ago had to withdraw through injury whilst Lia Jiao of the Netherlands is seeded four, Kim Kyung Ah od Korea seeded five and the rapidly improving Feng Tianwei of Singapore, seeded eight.
Schedule
Play commences with the qualification stage of both the Men’s and Women’s Singles events on Wednesday 23rd April with the main draw commencing on Friday 25th April and the finals being played on Sunday 27th April 2008.