February 20, 2009
Qatar Open: Joo Se Hyuk Dazzles
 Joo Se Hyuk beat China's Wang Liqin in Kuwait, one week later in Qatar he overcame Chen Qi. Photo By: Ayoade Ademakinwa |
Courtesy of ITTF In the third round of the Men’s Singles event at the Qatar Open he beat China's talented Chen Qi. |
Joo Se Hyuk won 11-6, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8.
On the current ITTF Men’s World Rankings, Joo Se Hyuk stands at no.10 with Chen Qi, three places higher at no.7.
Ominous Signs
The Korean captured the first game but then signs for a surprise win looked ominous; Chen Qi played consistently, the left hander executing forehands topspins directed towards the body of his adversary.
He was patient but as the match progressed, patience ran out and trying to force matters, he made mistakes.
Lost Focus
“Yes, I think he lost concentration”, said Joo Se Hyuk. “Also I think his left arm was hurting.”
I’m not sure it was hurting, more aching from having to topspin against the Joo Se Hyuk defensive strategy.
Backspin Play
“I kept defending, I kept trying to return with heavy backspin and play for long points”, added Joo Se Hyuk. “As the match progressed I felt my best chance of winning was keep defending; it’s one of the few times I’ve beaten him, I won when we played in the Chinese League recently but on the three of four other occasions that we have met, I’ve always lost.”
Defeat for Ryu Seung Min
The defeat of Chen Qi was one of two surprises in the third round of the Men’s Singles event, the other being the defeat of Joo Se Hyuk’s colleague, Ryu Seung Min by Hong Kong’s Tang Peng.
Tang Peng, a right handed shakehands grip player but very different to the world’s top players of that style in that he uses short pimples on the backhand, exercised his skill in the use of that material to the full.
Fast Backhand
Attacking quickly from the backhand, often down the parallel wide to the Ryu Seung Min forehand, he forced errors while capitalizing with a strong forehand topspin when the chance arose.
Victory for Tang Peng, currently standing at no.35 on the ITTF Men’s World Ranking over the 2004 Olympic champion, currently ranked no.11, came his way 8-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6.
Yoon Jae Young Wins
The wins recorded by Joo Se Hyuk and Tang Peng were both contrary to the current standing of the players on the ITTF Men’s World Ranking list and there was a third; once again with a Korean involved.
Yoon Jae Young beat Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan; he won 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 12-14, 13-11; the Korean currently stands at no.27 on the rankings with Chuang Chih-Yuan at no.9.
However, there were no further upsets.
Ma Lin and Wang Liqin Succeed
In the top half of the draw China’s Ma Lin, seeded no.1, beat Hong Kong’s Ko Lai Chak 11-8, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6 while colleague, Wang Liqin, seeded no.4 overcame Croatia’s Zoran Primorac in four straight games.
He won 11-8, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 proving to be the master in the art of counter topspin play, a skill in which Zoran Primorac also excels.
Topspin Duels
Meanwhile, in the lower half of the draw, Germany’s Timo Boll, seeded no.3 won an entertaining duel against Japan’s Jun Mizutani, the two players thrilling those present with dazzling forehand topspin exchanges while in similar mode, China’s Xu Xin beat Portugal’s Joao Monteiro.
Timo Boll won 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8 with Xu Xin overcoming the spirited Portuguese star 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 11-7, 14-16, 11-8.
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