2011 World Table Tennis Championships, Rotterdam, NED (May 8 -May 15) - Analysis

Men’s Single Draw

1^st Seeded : Wang Hao

2^nd Seeded : Timo Boll

3^rd Seeded : Zhang Jike

4^th Seeded : Ma Lin

Top Draw

1)                1) Wang Hao (Chi)

16) Ryu Seung Min (Kor)

32)  Jun Mizutani (Jpn)

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33) Ma Long (Chi)

45) Jean Michel Saive (Bel)

48) Oh Sang Eun (Kor)

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56) Bastian Steger (Ger)

57) Jorgen Persson (Swe)

64) Ma Lin (Chi)

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Bottom Draw

65) Zhang Jike (Chi)

73) Patrick Baum (Ger)

76) Zoran Primorac (Hrv)

80) Joo See Hyuk (Kor)

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81) Wang Liqin (Chi)

85) Ko Lai Chak (Hkg)

96) Xu Xin (Chi)

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97) Samsonov (Blr)

112) Chen Qi (Chi)

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113) Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Ger)

128) Timo Boll (Ger)

Wang Hao, defending champion has the easiest route as seeded No 1. He expected to face Ryu Seung Min of Korea in Best of 16 stage and probably June Mizutani  at Quarter Final. Based on current performance, it will be a mountain tasks for Ryu Seung Min to repeat what he had done in Olympic Final Athen 2004 where he beat Wang Hao to claim the gold medal in Men’s Single event.  Then come June Mizutani at Quarter Final and has to be at his best form to have any change whatsoever to beat Wang Hao.

Ma Long route is quite tricky…in Best of 16 Stage he will face either Jean Michel Saive (Bel) or Oh Sang Eun (Kor) to set a first mouth watering Quarter Final against compatriot Ma Lin. Ma Lin on the other hand probably will play against veteran Jorgen Persson (Swe) in Best of 32 stage before facing Bastien Steger (Ger) in Best of 16 Stage.

Zhang Jike, finalist of previous tournament and as 3^rd seeded is expected to face Joo See Hyuk of Korea in Best of 16 Stage before the real challenge in Quarter Final versus Xu Xin or Wang Liqin. Both Xu Xin and Wang Liqin will face each other in Best of 16 Stage as well. Winner of this quarter final going to play against the bottom draw which involving Timo Boll and Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany.

Timo Boll, as 2^nd seeded has the luckiest draw and should be able to qualify at least to Semi Final. The only obstacle he will face is Chen Qi or Samsonov in Quarter Final, there is no Chinese player in his route to QF. By his standard, Timo must be in Semi Final to play against Zhang Jike or Wang Liqin or Xu Xin.

Btw…one thing we have to remember, anything can happen..that why they call this game Ping Pong – 1 ping and 1 pong….hehehehe

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