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Women Doubles
Venezuela’s Ruaida Ezzeddine and Fabiola Ramos, the no.3 seeds, won the Women’s Doubles title at the Latin American Championships in the Mexican city of Cancun on Wednesday 3rd March 2010. At the final hurdle, they overcame top seeds, Chile’s Berta Rodriguez and Maria Paulina Vega, to clinch gold.

It is the first time as a paring that the duo had reached the final of a Women’s Doubles event at a Latin American Championships and it was the third time that Venezuela had captured the title.
In 2007 in the Brazilian city of Guarulhos, Fabiola Ramos partnered Luisana Perez to gold beating Cuba’s Anisleyvis Bereau and Glendys Gonzales in the final whilst in 1992, Venezuela also struck gold.
Staged in the Cuban capital, Havana, Nelsy Aparicio and Aura Prieto beat Peru’s Eliana Gonzalez del Riego and Milagros Gorritti at the final hurdle to secure the top prize.


Men Doubles
Brazil’s Hugo Hoyama and Cazuo Matsumoto staved off a spirited challenge from the host nation, to retain the Men’s Doubles title at the Latin American Championships in the Mexican city of Cancun on Wednesday 3rd February 2010. They overcame Mexican pairings at both the semi-final and final stages, beating Guillermo Muñoz and Jude Okoh to clinch gold, having one round earlier saddened the home supporters by halting the progress of Marcos Madrid and Savador Uribe. It was a commanding display by the two penhold grip Brazilian left handers.

They proved that the left-left handed combination can work; the right and left hander in harness being seen as the ideal partnership with two right handed players next in line. Arguably the advantage for the Brazilians, being both penholders, is that the grip is perceived to be the superior grip near the net, a vital area in doubles

Mixed Doubles
Brazil’s Cazuo Matsumoto and Ligia Silva retained their Mixed Doubles title at the Latin American Championships overcoming the host nation’s Jude Okoh and Yadira Silva at the final hurdle. Urged forward by the local crowd Jude Okoh and Yadira Silva had excelled to reach the gold medal contest.
At the penultimate stage they overcame Venezuela’s Henry Mujica and Fabiola Ramos by the very narrowest of five game margins having progressed to the penultimate stage without ever seriously being threatened.

They opened their account with four games victory over the teenage Ecuadorian partnership of Dino Suarez and Joselyn Peralta, before beating Argentina’s Gaston Alto and Ana Codina in three straight games to book a quarter-final place, where by the same margin, they defeated Colombia’s Juan Restrepo and Johana Araque. A smooth road to the semi-finals then tension and it was the same for the champions elect.

The left handed penholder Cazuo Matsumoto and the right handed shake hands grip player Ligia Silva, seen in many quarters as the ideal combination, experienced penultimate round problems.
They were extended the full five games by Chile’s Alejandro Rodriguez and Maria Paulina Vega, having commenced proceedings with a straight games win over the Dominican Republic’s partnership of Juan Vila and Eva Brito, followed by success in four games in opposition the Mexico’s Marcos Madrid and Sarah Rosas to book a quarter-final place.
In the round of the last eight pairs they met Colombia’s Alexander Echavarria and Paula Medina. Once again success came their way and once again it was in four games

(Note : Source from ITTF News)

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37 year old Liu Song(Argentina) beat the defending champion, Cazuo Matsumoto (Brazil), a player 13 years his junior, in the Men’s Singles final at the Latin American Championships in Cancun on Saturday 6th March 2010 to clinch the continental crown. That shows that experience counted the most in the event. At the final hurdle, Liu Song succeeded in four straight games, winning by the margin of 11-5, 11-15, 15-13, 11-6 to regain the title and secure the top prize for the fourth time in his career. Previously he had won in 1998 in Mexico City and in 2006 in Medellin, on both occasions beating Hugo Hoyama (Brazil) in the final; whilst in 2007 he succeeded in Guarulhos, overcoming Lin Ju (Republic of Dominica)in the gold medal contest.

Overall it was his sixth appearance in a Men’s Singles final at the Latin American Championships, in 2000 in the Chilean city of Coquimbo; he was beaten in the final by Hugo Hoyama, whilst in Uruguay’s Punta del Este in 2005 he suffered the same fate at the hands of Lin Ju.

Cazuo Matsumoto is a player with what is becoming a distinctive style and one that is dying out; penhold grip, using one side of the racket only as opposed to two sides from the modern day penholder, he proved himself a most astute competitor in 2009. He became very much “Mr Intercontinental Champion.” At the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Moscow in October, he won the title and then two weeks later he was a member of the Brazilian team that won the same crown at the Men’s World Team Cup. In Cancun he had to settle for runners up spot, but to gain that place he had to endure severe tests.

He was extended the full distance by the Juan Vila (Republic of Dominica)in his opening encounter, before surrendering one game again Guillermo Muñoz(Mexico) and none in the quarter-finals in opposition to Alberto Miño (Ecuador). A place in the semi-finals booked, it was there he experienced his most testing encounter, facing compatriot and second seed, Hugo Hoyama, he recovered from a three games to one deficit to succeed by the narrowest of margins in the seventh game to secure victory.

Similarly, Liu Song, after recording straight games wins over Kevin Montufar (Guatemala) and Andres Calier (Chiles) experienced problems in the quarter-finals. He had to recover from a three games to two deficit against the host nation’s Marcos Madrid to record a narrow seventh game success. Win a close match and confidence blossoms; that was the case for Liu Song, at the penultimate stage he overcame Gustavo Tsuboi (Brazil)to reach the final and with an increasing confidence overcame Cazuo Matsumoto to clinch gold.

The Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Magdeburg in late October now awaits Liu Song with the Intercontinental Cup being the first stage. It will be the fifth time he has appeared in a Men’s World Cup.

(Excerpts from ITTF News)

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The summary of results at the Latin American TT Championship :

Men’s Singles
Final
LIU Song (ARG) bt Cazuo MATSUMOTO (BRA) 11-5, 11-5, 15-13, 11-6

Women’s Singles
Final
Yadira SILVA (MEX) bt Ligia SILVA (BRA) 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 16-14, 11-8

Men’s Doubles
Final
Hugo HOYAMA/Cazuo MATSUMOTO (BRA) bt Guillermo MUÑOZ/Jude OKOH (MEX) 11-9, 11-6, 11-9

Women’s Doubles
Final
Ruiadda EZZEDDINE/Fabiola RAMOS (VEN) bt Berta RODRIGUEZ/Maria Paulina VEGA (CHI) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8

Mixed Doubles
Final
Cazuo MATSUMOTO/Ligia SILVA (BRA) bt Jude OKOH/Yadira SILVA (MEX) 11-9, 11-6, 12-10

Under 21 Men’s Singles
Final
Alberto MIÑO (ECU) bt Juan VILA (DOM) 11-8, 11-2, 6-11, 11-9

Under 21 Women’s Singles
Final
Paula MEDINA (COL) bt Ruaidda EZZEDDINE (BRA) 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7