March 27, 2009
Latin American Championships
 Four gold medals in El Salvador for Cazuo Matsumoto Photo By: Marcio Rodrigues |
Courtesy of ITTF In so doing they completed a very successful week of action for Brazil in the Central American country’s capital city of San Salvador. They won a total of medal count of six gold, three silver and one bronze; well ahead of the field. |
Both finals on the last day of action were all Brazilian affairs.
Cazuo Matsumoto beat Hugo Hoyama to clinch the Men’s Singles title; while in the counterpart female event, Ligia Silva overcame Mariany Nonaka.
Landmark
Furthermore, for Cazuo Matsumoto it was a landmark in his career, he won gold in every event possible: Men’s Team, Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles (with Hugo Hoyama) and Mixed Doubles (with Ligia Silva).
In a contest between two penholders, Cazuo Matsumoto beat Hugo Hoyama 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4; while in the Women’s Singles final, Ligia Silva succeeded 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.
Never Extended
It was an outstanding performance by Ligia Silva who at no stage of proceedings was extended the full seven games distance.
Seeded no.1, she beat Puerto Rico’s Jerica Marrero, El Salvador’s Morayle Alvarez and Chile’s Berta Rodriguez; the greatest resistance being offered by Morayle Alvarez who extended he champion elect to six games.
More Testing
However, for Cazuo Matsumoto, life was a little more testing.
There were no problems in the rounds leading to the semi-finals, where he beat Argentina’s Rodrogo Gilabert, Chile’s Bruno Levis, and Diego Temperley, also of Argentina, all in four straight games but then he ran into trouble.
The trouble was in the form of Temperley’s colleague, Gaston Alto.
He extended Matsumoto, the full seven games distance; the extra international experience of the Brazilian eventually prevailing.
Familiar Names
It was the familiar names of Latin American Table Tennis that prevailed; the rising stars still have a few steps to climb.
Mariany Nonaka, the Women’s Singles silver medalist, falls into that category with her semi-final win over Colombia’s Paula Medina being by the narrowest of seven game margins.
Experience
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Singles event, Brazil’s Jessica Yamada reached the quarterfinals, as did Lyanne Aponte of Puerto Rico while for the men, the quarterfinal cupboard was bare.
Ecuador’s Alberto Miño departed at the hands of Hugo Hoyama in round two with El Salvador’s Josue Donado and Brazil’s Eric Mancini both falling to more experienced adversaries.
The former lost to Chile’s Juan Papic, the latter to Mexico’s Marcos Madrid.
Related Article: Latin American Championships Under 21 Titles
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