Austrian Open: Sensational 24-year old Apolonia defeats Boll in final

Sunday, October 24, 2010

ITTF Press Release



Portugal’s 24 year old Tiago APOLONIA emerged as the shock Men’s Singles champion at the Austrian Open in Wels on Sunday 24th October 2010.

Never having progressed beyond the third round of a Men’s Singles event on the ITTF Pro Tour, APOLONIA, the no.13 seed, beat Germany’s Timo BOLL, the reigning European champion, to collect the top prize of US$ 16,000.

It was one of the year’s biggest upsets and it very nearly did not happen; in his first round contest against Frenchmen Emmanuel LEBESSON two days earlier, Tiago APOLONIA had saved four match points before securing victory.

A shock result in the Men’s Singles event but not in the counterpart Women’s Singles competition where China dominated matters,

GUO Yue, 22 years old and the 2007 World champion, captured the crown beating 18 year old compatriot WU Yang in the final.

The Women’s Singles title for GUO Yue and earlier in the day, partnering LI Xiaoxia, the duo captured Women’s Doubles gold. Winners of the Women’s Doubles title at the LIEBHERR World Championships in both 2007 and 2009, the duo defeated teenage compatriots, WU Yang and ZHU Yuling in the final.

It was for GUO Yue and LI Xiaoxia their eighth ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles title; whilst in the Men’s Doubles event, it was a first for Hong Kong Kong’s JIANG Tianyi and TANG Peng.

In the past they have been quarter-finalists and semi-finalists but never finalists in ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Doubles events; in Austria they came good.

They beat Korea’s JEONG Sang Eun and RYU Seung Min at the final hurdle to clinch gold.


Men’s Singles
Semi-Finals
Timo Boll (GER) bt Ryu Seung Min (KOR) 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-2,11-3, 11-8
Tiago APOLONIA (POR) bt Kenta MATSUDAIRA (JPN) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-5

Final
Tiago APOLONIA (POR) bt Timo BOLL (GER) 10-12, 11-8, 3-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6

Women’s Singles
Semi-Finals
WU Yang (CHN) bt LI Jiao (NED) 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-6
GUO Yue (CHN) bt LI Xiaoxia (CHN) 3-11, 14-16, 13-11,11-7,11-9, 11-8

Final
GUO Yue (CHN) bt WU Yang (CHN) 11-3, 9-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 13-11

Men’s Doubles
Final
JIANG Tianyi / TANG Peng (HKG) bt JEONG Sang Eun / RYU Seung Min (KOR) 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9

Women’s Doubles
Final
GUO Yue / LI Xiaoxia (CHN) bt WU Yang / ZHU Yuling (CHN) 11-4, 11-6, 11-2,11-4

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