46^th World Table Tennis Championships

Osaka, Japan · April 23 - May 6, 2001

Featured Match: Sweden vs. Belarus
8:00 PM, April 23

This promised to have some exciting matches, with the team of Waldner & Persson going up against the team of Samsonov. Sweden may be the defending world champions, but if Samsonov were to win both his matches (he’s ranked higher than both Swedes), and Belarus would win if their number two player, Evgeni Chtchetinine (that is the correct spelling!) could knock off the Sweden number three player. Since Sweden’s #3 player, Peter Karlsson, is not good against choppers, Sweden played their #4 player, Fredrik Hakansson, who is supposed to be good against choppers.

The match was umpired by the USA crew of Tom Miller and Paul Kovac. It was the featured match of the night, and played on the huge TV screen in the arena.

Both are similar topspin players who play aggressive, but fall back on topspin defense when in trouble. Samsonov probably is a bit better off the table, Persson a bit better at the table. Most spectators favored Samsonov to win in this match between two former World #1 players. In game one, the two played even to 15-all – but Samsonov basically fell apart the rest of this game, making numerous mistakes (even whiffing a loop against a push completely!) in losing 21-16. However, game two was all Samsonov, who began looping winners right off the bounce in winning 21-13. In the third, down 8-5, Samsonov’s coach calls a timeout, but to no avail. Persson gradually pulls away to led 15-10, and coasts to a 16,-13,17 win.

"In the early rounds of tournaments, Waldner fools around too much, and he always gets into trouble," said USA Coach Dan Seemiller. Waldner didn’t really get into too much trouble this match, but he seemed to do everything he could to keep the scores close until near the end. It seemed like any time he had more than a two-point lead, he’d throw the ball up and lob.

The first point of this match was unreal, and showed the magic of Waldner. Waldner is lobbing (as he would over and over), then suddenly counterloops. Chumakov makes a spectacular ripping counterloop – but Waldner, who’d stepped (or strolled?) toward the table, nonchalantly swatted in a down-the-line backhand kill! Up 20-14, Waldner suddenly lobs an easy ball up to the ceiling; Chumakov kills it, Waldner nonchalantly loops it back for a winner. Game two is more of the same. Match to Waldner, 14 & 16.

Hakansson showed at the U.S. Open last year that he could play chop by beating Japan’s ace chopper, Koji Matsushita. At least two USA team members were sure he’d eat up Chtchetinine. (You try pronouncing it!)

Hakansson has tremendous power, and in game one, he over powered Chtchetinine, 21-18. He seemed to dominate the points, but could never really pull away. In game two, Chtchetinine has gotten his timing, as choppers do – choppers tend to get better and better as matches go on. Chtchetinine pulls away 15-7, 20-13, and wins 21-15.

In game three, Hakansson seems to loop off, and leads 8-7. But Chtchetinine says the ball hit the edge, and flips the scoreboard – so it’s 9-6 Hakansson, with polite applause for Chtchetinine. Hakansson goes up 10-6 – and then fell apart, losing the next five, four of them against what can only be called pop-ups. Two of the pop-ups were the basic type that most 1800 players would make. The Swedish coach calls a time-out. Afterwards, the two dual all the way to 18-all. It seems Hakansson is too impatient, trying to overpower Chtchetinine with the first or second shot as he did in the first game. (Some may remember power-looper Shigeo Itoh ripping everything in the Men’s Single Final at the 1969 Worlds against chopper Eberhard Scholer – and losing the first two games before going to a steady and patient topspin game and winning in five.) Chtchetinine goes up 19-18, but after making a diving lob return, doesn’t even bother to get up as Hakansson smashes a winner to tie it at 19-all. Hakansson gets match point 20-19, but then loops into the net – deuce. Then Hakansson plays two straight steady topspin points, and each time, after working the point, gets a winning shot. Match to Hakansson, 18,-15,20, and team match to Sweden, 3-0.

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