Top Seed Suffers Second Round Exit in Santiago
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the number one seed and the
most successful player on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2008, was beaten
in the second round of the Men’s Singles event at the
Chile Open in Santiago on Friday 25th April by Russia’s
Igor Rubtsov, the twentieth highest world ranked player on
duty in the competition.
In sensational style, the powerful Russian won in four straight
games to set the tournament alight.
“I decided to play an open game against him”,
said a bemused Igor Rubtsov after the contest. “I have
played him before and I’ve never even won a single game!”
Victory for Igor Rubtsov and then within seconds the Indian
camp was celebrating with Sharath Kamal Achanta, seeded seventeen,
overcoming Hong Kong’s Tang Peng, the number eight seed
and the runner up in the Men’s Singles event one year
ago.
The two wins sparked two more shock results; in seven games
Korean teenager Lee Sang Su beat Belgium’s former world
number one Jean-Michel Saive and Adrien Mattenet of France
defeated Singapore’s talented Yang Zi.
Jean-Michel Saive was seeded seven with Yang Zi seeded nine,
both Lee Sang Su and Adrien Mattenet had come through the
qualification stage.
However, for the remaining highly seeded players there was
success in the second round of the Men’s Singles event.
Second seed, Korea’s Ryu Seung Min, the reigning Olympic
champion, beat Russia’s Maksim Shmyryev, third seed
Singapore’s Gao Ning defeated Vitaly Nekhvedovich and
fourth seed Hong Kong’s Li Ching proved too fast for
Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chih-Chi.
Similarly, there was success for the defending champion,
Japan’s Kan Yo. He beat Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro
to secure his place in round two.
Problems for highly rated players in the Men’s Singles
but not in the Women’s Singles event; only one seed
departed, that being the host nation’s Berta Rodriguez.
She was beaten by eighteen year old Yuka Ishigaki of Japan;
as for the top four it was a comfortable experience.
Top seed, Singapore’s Li Jia Wei defeated Brazil’s
Karin Sako, second seed and defending champion, Hong Kong’s
Jiang Huajun overcame Chile’s Maria Paulina Vega, whilst
third seed Tie Yana, also of Hong Kong and fourth seed, Li
Jiao of the Netherlands, followed suit to beat South American
opposition.
Tie Yana accounted for Brazil’s Mariany Nonaka and
Li Jiao ended the aspirations of Chile’s Judith Morales.
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"Source:
ITTF Press Release