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[729 fx]

This event will take place in Changsha, China and feature the following players (Men) -
Ma Lin, Wang Hao, Timo Boll, VSamsonov, Ma Long, MMaze, Jun Mizutani and the reserves are Oh SE, Cheung Yeuk and DOtcharov.

This is considered as an " off" event as compared with the World Championship, Olympics etc. It only features 6 of the world top-ranked players subject to 3 players from the same country plus 2 wild card entries.

The Women line-up consist of Zhang YN(China, Olympic 2008 Champion and World 2009 Champion), Liu SW(China, World Cup Champion), Guo Yan(Pro Tour 2008 Grand Final Champion), Feng Tianwei, Kim KA, Jiang Huajun, Wu Jiado(Germany, wild card) and V Pavlovich(Belarus, wild card). The reserves (in case any of the top 8 players cannot make it) are Wang YG(Singapore), Park MY(Korea) and Liu Jia (Austria).

[varghese]

I was looking at the ITTF website to find some event in December. Is there a ITTF link to this event?

[729 fx]

I read it from the The SeatleTimes (which features PongWorld). The following was extracted from there:
"Upcoming Major Events

November 2009
10 - Asia-Europe Challenge, Europe Step, Istanbul Turkey
16 - 2009 Asian Championships, India
25 - Pro Tour Polish Open, Warsaw Poland
27 - Joola North American Team, Baltimore USA
December 2009
2 - 2009 East Asian Games - Table Tennis Events, Hong Kong
3 - Finlandia Open, Helsinki Finland
19 - Volkswagen 2009 Tournament of Champions, China
January 2010
7 - ITTF 2009 Pro Tour Grand Finals, Macao "

[729 fx]

Finally got the ITTF link dated 13th November 2009 : http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_fu ... n_ID=1898&

Confirmed participants -
Men:
MA Lin, CHN, Olympic Champion 2008
WANG Hao, CHN, World Champion 2009
SAMSONOV Vladimir, BLR, World Cup Champion 2009
MA Long, CHN, Pro Tour Grand Finals Champion 2008
BOLL Timo, GER, Selection according to World Ranking
MAZE Michael, DEN, Selection according to World Ranking (European Champion)
MIZUTANI Jun, JPN, Wild card
OVTCHAROV Dimitrij, GER, Reserve player for JOO Se Hyuk

Women:
LIU Shiwen, CHN, World Cup Champion 2009
GUO Yan, CHN, Pro Tour Grand Finals Champion 2008
FENG Tianwei, SIN, Selection according to World Ranking
KIM Kyung Ah, KOR, Selection according to World Ranking
JIANG Huajun, HKG, Selection according to World Ranking
WU Jiaduo, GER, Wild card (European Champion)
PAVLOVICH Viktoria, BLR, Wild card
WANG Yue Gu, SIN, Reserve player for ZHANG Yining

[ejunkie]

Hmmm. The participants are little weak on the women's side. Where are the top players?

[729 fx]

On paper, it may look weak, but actual fact it is not that weak.

China’s 18 year old world no.3 Liu Shiwen is the first player to reach the final at the Volkswagen 2009 Tournament of Champions. Liu overcame Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus in four straight games.
Viktoria Pavlovich played full of self-confidence in today’s semi-final match after she had beaten world no.6 Feng Tianwei in the quarter-final. Although her Chinese opponent put her under permanent pressure, the Belarusian kept the error rate very low.

Eventually the difference was that Liu Shiwen was calm in the close moments and played patiently. In the first game, the teenager saved one game point, in the third she was 7 to 10 down and in the fourth game she was 8 to 10 down before she made four points in a row to secure victory

The other semifinal pitted Guo Yan with Wu Jiado with the result 11-7, 11-3, 11-1, 9-11 and 11-5.

[729 fx]

As for the Men's event, Ma Long (China) is the winner in the Men's Singles event at the Volkswagen 2009 Tournament of Champions. On the final day of the event in Hunan's capital city Changsha, the 21 year old world no.2 beat world no.4 Timo Boll (Germany) in five games 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9 and 11-6.

The semi-final was between Ma Long vs Ma Lin with Ma Long winning and Boll vs Otcharov of which Boll prevailed.

[ejunkie]

GUO Yan won on the women side beating Liu. I still think the women were missing a few.

[729 fx]

Yes, especially the Olympic Champion. The missing ones are Guo Yue, Zhang Yining etc. I believe these players cannot make it due to reasons only known to them.