July 6, 2010
Timo Boll Puts Matters Straight in Kobe to Avenge Moscow Defeat
 Timo Boll en route to gold in Kobe Photo By: Tetsu Yamashita |
Courtesy of ITTF It was to some extent a tournament of sweet revenge for Timo Boll. Furthermore, the final two rounds were very much the same scenario. |
At the semi-final stage he beat Korea’s Joo Se Hyuk, like Jun Mizutani, Timo Boll had never lost the Korean in world ranking events prior to their most recent meeting prior to the Japan Open.
Pattern Renewed
In the Chinese city of Guangzhou in March, on his very first visit to the table, Timo Boll was beaten by Joo Se Hyuk; while two months later towards the end of May at the Liebherr World Team Championships, Timo Boll was beat in the first stage of proceedings by Jun Mizutani.
At the 2010 Japan Open, Timo Boll put the record straight; he beat the former in straight games, the latter in six games.
Thus in their nine meetings in world ranking events, Timo Boll has now beaten Jun Mizutani on eight occasions.
Closer and Closer
However, life is not becoming any easier for Timo Boll when confronted by Jun Mizutani. The first four meetings all went to the German in four straight games, the age difference being a telling factor.
Timo Boll won on the ITTF Pro Tour when they meet in 2004 in Poland, in 2007 in Russia and Germany and in 2008 in Korea.
However in the Men’s Team event clash in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games Jun Mizutani extracted one game, then in 2009 at the Qatar Open he secured two games before losing in five later in the year at the German Open.
Theory Proved
Not stunning results for the Japanese star but win one game and you have the ability to beat your opponent; in Moscow he proved that theory.
Just over one month later, in what was only his second ever Men’s Singles final on the ITTF Pro Tour it was defeat and now the record in the gold medal match stands at 50%; in 2009 he won at the KAL Korean Open.
Incredible Record
He fell just one step short but if there is one man who has shown the world how to climb the next step it is Timo Boll.
Including his victory in 2005 at the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals, Timo Boll has now appeared in a total of 23 ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles finals.
On no less than 19 occasions he has won; a quite incredible conversion record.
Jun Mizutani, the Men’s Singles silver medallist in Kobe.
Photo By: Tetsu Yamashita
Men’s Singles
Semi-Finals
Timo BOLL(GER) bt JOO Se Hyuk (KOR) 11-7, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Jun MIZUTANI (JPN) bt LI Ching (HKG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7
Final
Timo BOLL(GER) bt Jun MIZUTANI (JPN) 11-2,12-14, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4
Women’s Singles
Semi-Final
WANG Yue Gu (SIN) bt KIM Kyung Ah (KOR) 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-4
ZHU Yuting (CHN) bt PARK Mi Young (KOR) 11-8, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6
Final
WANG Yue Gu (SIN) bt ZHU Yuting (CHN) 11-7, 17-15, 11-6, 11-1
Men’s Doubles
Final
Kenta MATSUDAIRA/Koki NIWA (JPN) bt JIANG Tianyi/LEUNG Chu Yan (HKG) 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11,11-4, 14-16, 11-1
Women’s Doubles
Final
Yuka ISHIGAKI/Yuri YAMANASHI (JPN) bt CHENG I-Ching/HUANG Yi-Hua (TPE) 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3
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