Never upset a great player, Vladimir Samsonov bites back
05 Mar 2020
Simply he could not buy a win, that was until the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open in Doha when he sent a very clear message: don't upset me, I will return and bite back.
Required to qualify, on Thursday 5th March, Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, caused the biggest upset in the opening round of the men’s singles event; he beat China’s Lin Gaoyuan, the no.4 seed, in seven games (5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7).
Vladimir Samsonov, a rare vintage (Photo: Hussein Sayed)
by Ian Marshall, Editor
Travelling back in time to the late 1980s when Vladimir Samsonov was a promising young cadet, I doubt since those days there has ever been a time when he has made such a disappointing start to a year.
It’s time to finish and hang up the racket was the comment that crossed the mind for the player who in just over one month’s time will mark his 44th birthday; it appeared players several generations younger were proving too sprightly.
In the first four international tournaments of the year, he didn’t win a single match. At the ITTF World Team Qualification tournament, he lost to Bence Majoros against Hungary, the effect no place for Belarus in the men’s team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Soon after at the ITTF World Tour Platinum Germany Open, in his first match in the qualification stage, he was beaten by China’s Xu Chenhao.
Some three weeks later on the ITTF World Tour in Hungary, the no.10 seed, he experienced a first round exit at the hands of Frenchman Alexandre Cassin, having sandwiched in between suffered the same fate at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux. He was beaten by Slovenia’s in form Darko Jorgic.
Faced challenge
Now in Doha, Vladimir Samsonov has clearly displayed that it is pick up the racket, face the challenge square in the face, prove the detractors wrong and teach the younger generation a lesson. En route to the main draw he avenged the defeat against Alexandre Cassin prior to ousting China’s Zhou Yu.
Against Lin Gaoyuan, it was virtually two Vladimir Samsonovs on duty, that’s a sobering thought!
Lin Gaoyuan notably strong from the backhand (Photo: Hussein Sayed)
In the opening game, Lin Gaoyuan was in control from start to finish, Vladimir Samsonov way very much in the passive mode. In the seventh game, it was very different, Vladimir Samsonov saw his chance. Predominantly using his trademark slow motion forehand service technique, moving closer to the centre of the table than in the opening game to reduce the very effective Lin Gaoyuan backhand wide to his forehand, Vladimir Samsonov won the first three points.
Sense of belief
Quiet in the opening game, in the decider every point won was greeted with a deep verbal Belarus cry of success. Just as in the opening game when serving first, he had lost the first three points, in the decider he won the first three. Arguably they were the most critical three points in the whole match.
At the change of ends he led 5-1; at 9-6 the gap was down to three points, Vladimir Samsonov called “time out” but Lin Gaoyuan had one service left in the sequence. He won the point but it was the last he was to win.
We all know Vladimir Samsonov as the stylish elegant player who can keep the ball on the table ad infinitum; against Lin Gaoyuan he proved he is equally the master in the art of serve and first attack.
At 9-7 it was serve and vicious forehand to end matters, at 10-7 it was the same but from the backhand; arms raised in celebration.
Liam Pitchford, the no.15 seed now awaits in round two.
原本認為白俄羅斯(BELARUS)不惑老將薩姆索諾夫 Vladimir Samsonov不會是高遠的對手，過去更有兩場4:2的對戰全勝記錄（2019年匈公、葡挑），尤其在台灣老將莊智淵順利在正賽首輪送張本智和出局之時，更對高遠衝擊四強甚至決賽抱有絕對的樂觀，怎知賽場上一路令人緊張到七局最後，而且還是令人難受的結尾。（我現在還好難過）
Korean stars claim men's doubles title in Magdeburg (Photo: Rémy Gros)
Cho Daeseong and Jang Woojin are Men’s Doubles champions!!!
Men’s Doubles: Final
And the Korean qualifiers have done it! Congratulations to Cho Daeseong and Jang Woojin on securing the men’s doubles title in Magdeburg (10-12, 15-13, 12-14, 14-12, 11-6).
Down to the wire
Men’s Doubles: Final
Saving a combined total of five game points in game three and then two in game four, but Lin and Ma can’t prevent the Koreans from forcing a decider. Four games down and we’re still none the wiser as to who will lift the trophy!
Korean duo levels tie with cool display
Men’s Doubles: Final
With the opening game of the men’s doubles final going to China’s Lin Gaoyuan and Ma Long by the narrowest of margin (12-10), Korea Republic’s Cho Daeseong and Jang Woojin needed a quick response and they found one, finishing game two with a flourish (15-13) to pull level once again.
Nerves of steel see Lin hold on
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Mizutani continues to ask the question of his higher-seeded opponent with another successful outing in game six forcing the match to a final seventh game. However, refusing to let his head drop Lin manages to get over the finish line with a much stronger performance in the decider (11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6).
Lin Gaoyuan survives fierce test (Photo: Rémy Gros)
“It was a tough match, the opponent was down 0-3 and came back to make 3-3. I felt that I was dreaming! I was nervous, but then the most important thing in my head was that I cannot lose this match and I am glad I made it in the end.” Lin Gaoyuan
Comeback on the cards?
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Trailing 0-3, Mizutani saves two match points before going on to win game four (13-11). The Japanese player carries forward his positive momentum into game five and doesn’t look back, clawing the overall deficit back to one with a narrow win (11-9). Lin needs to rediscover his composure here or Mizutani may just start to believe in his comeback chances!
“Dark Knight” on the right track
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Keen to get through this one quickly, Lin Gaoyuan, aka the “Dark Knight”, has made a lighting start to his quarter-final meeting with Jun Mizutani, claiming games one and two decisively (11-6, 11-7).
Not the start Mizutani was hoping for but don’t expect him to lose heart – it’s still early days in this one.
