MEN

#1 Vladimir Samsonov        BLR

Highest/Current World Ranking:     1/4

Age & Date of Birth:                29  04-17-76

• 2005 Croatia ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion

• 2004 Brazil ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion

• 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Semifinalist

• 1999 & 2001 World Cup Men’s Singles Champion

• 1998, 2003 and 2005 European Men’s Singles Champion

• 1998, 1999 & 2001 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Champion

• 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 1997 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Final Men’s Singles Champion

• 1997 World Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 8-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion; 4-time Runner-up

#2 Chuan Chih-Yuan           TPE

Highest/Current World Ranking:     3/9

Age & Date of Birth:                  24  04-02-81 

• 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 Japan ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 Olympic Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2003 Brazil ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion

• 2002 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Final Men’s Singles Champion

• 2002 Safir Masters Men’s Singles Champion

• 2002 Asian Games Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 4-Time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

#3 Jean-Michel Saive         BEL

Highest/Current World Ranking:     1/10

Age & Date of Birth:                  35  11-17-69

• 2004 European Championships Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 Austria ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 1993 World Championships Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000 & 2003 World Cup Men’s Singles Semifinalist

• 1997 & 2001 ITTF Grand Tour Finals Men’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2001 World Championships Men’s Teams Runner-up

• 1994 World Cup Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 1994 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Champion; 1996 Runner-up

• 1994 European Championships Men’s Singles Champion; 1992 Runner-up

• 3-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion; 5-time Runner-up

#4 Oh Sang Eun                   KOR

Highest/Current World Ranking:     10/15

Age & Date of Birth:                    28  04-13-77

• 2005 World Championships Men’s Singles Semifinalist

• 1997, 2001 & 2004 World Championships Men’s Teams Semifinalist

• 2002 World Cup Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2001 & 2003 World Championships Men’s Doubles Semifinalist

• 2001 World Championships Mixed Doubles Runner-up

• 1998 & 2002 Asian Games Men’s Singles Semifinalist, Men’s Doubles & Teams Runner-up; 1998 Mixed Doubles Runner-up

• 2001 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals Men’s Doubles Champion, Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2000 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals Men’s Doubles Runner-up

• 2-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 3-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Doubles Champion; 8-time Runner-up

#5 Alexei Smirnov               RUS

Highest/Current World Ranking:     11/16

Age & Date of Birth:                    28  10-09-77

• 2005 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Champion

• 2003 World Cup Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2003 Qatar ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Third Place

• 2003 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Fifth Place

• 2003 European Championships Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist, Men’s Doubles Runner-up

• 1995 European Youth Championships Boys’ Singles, Doubles & Mixed Doubles Champion

• 2-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Semifinalist; 3-time Quarterfinalist

#6 Chen Weixing                 AUT

Highest/Current World Ranking:     13/17

Age & Date of Birth:                33  04-24-72

• 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Doubles Runner-up

• 2004 & 2005 European Top 12 Men’s Singles Fifth Place

• 2004 Denmark & Polish ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2003 World Championships Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 4-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 4-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Doubles Runner-up

#7 Zoran Primorac               HRV

WITHDREW

Highest/Current World Ranking:     2/26

Age & Date of Birth:                36  05-10-69

• 1993 & 1997 World Cup Men’s Singles Champion

• 1994, 1998 & 1999 World Cup Men’s Singles Third Place

• 1998 & 2000 European Championships Men’s Singles Runner-up

• 1994 European Championships Mixed Doubles Champion

• 1990 European Championships Men’s Doubles Champion

• 1988 Olympic Men’s Doubles Silver Medalist

• 1987 Mediterranean Games Men’s Singles & Doubles Champion

• 1987 & 1995 World Championships Men’s Doubles Runner-up

• 6-time ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Champion, 4-time Runner-up

#8 Jens Lundqvist               SWE

Highest/Current World Ranking:     19/35

Age & Date of Birth:                25  08-29-79

• 2005 Brazil ITTF Pro Tour Men's Doubles Champion, Men's Singles Semifinalist

• 2004 Brazil ITTF Pro Tour Men's Doubles Champion

• 2003 Brazil ITTF Pro Tour Men's Singles Runner-up

• 2003 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals Men's Singles Semifinalist

• 2003 Safir International Men's Singles Champion

• 2002 Killerspin Open Singles & Doubles Champion

• 2002 China ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2002 European Championships Men’s Team Champion

WOMEN

 #1 Tie Yana                         HKG

Highest/Current World Ranking:     6/7

Age & Date of Birth:                26  05-13-79

• 2003 Asian Championships Women’s Singles, Doubles & Mixed Doubles Semifinalist, Women’s Team Runner-up

• 2004 Asian Cup Women’s Singles Champion

• 2003 Asian Cup Women’s Singles Third Place

• 2002 Asian Cup Mixed Doubles Champion

• 2004 Russian, 2003 Brazilian and 2002 Korean ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion

• 2005 Croatian, Slovenian & Russian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2002 & 2004 World Cup Women’s Singles Third Place

#2 Li Jia Wei                       SIN

Highest/Current World Ranking:     6/8

Age/Date of Birth:                    22/8-9-81

• 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion

• 2005 Slovenia ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion

• 2004 Olympic Games Women’s Singles Fourth Place

• 2004 World Cup Women’s Singles Fourth Place

• 2004 Asian Cup Women’s Singles Third Place

• 2002 Japan ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Champion; 4-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Runner-up

• 2000 & 2001 Commonwealth Games Women’s Singles Champion; 4-time Women’s Doubles Champion, 3-time Mixed Doubles Champion, 4-time Women’s Team Champion

• 3-time & current South East Asian Women’s Singles & Doubles Champion, 2-time & current Mixed Doubles Champion, 4-time & current Women’s Team Champion

• 3-time South East Asian Games Women’s Singles, Doubles & Team Champion, 1-time Mixed Doubles Champion

#3 Kim Kyung Ah                KOR

Highest/Current World Ranking:     5/10

Age & Date of Birth:                28  05-25-77

• 2004 Olympic Women’s Singles Bronze Medalist

• 2004 Croatian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion

• 2004 Russian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2004 World Championships Women’s Teams Semifinalist

• 2003 Asian Championships Women’s Singles & Doubles Quarterfinalist

• 2003 World Cup Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2002 Japan ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion, Doubles Runner-up

• 2001 Japan ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 2-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Champion

#4 Lau Sui Fei                     HKG

Highest/Current World Ranking:     10/15

Age & Date of Birth:                24  07-03-81

• 2004 & 2000 World Cup Women’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2004 Poland ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Champion

• 2002 USA & Italy ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 8-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2002 & 2004 Pro Tour Grand Finals Quarterfinalist

• 2003 & 2004 World Cup Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

#5 Gao Jun                          USA

Highest/Current World Ranking:     3/16

Age & Date of Birth:                   36  1-25-69

• 2005 China Taipei Women's Singles & Doubles Champion

• 2005 & 2003 World Championships Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2004 Korean & Singapore ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2003 Pan Am Games Women’s Singles & Team Gold Medal

• 1999 Pan Am Games Women’s Singles Gold Medal

• 1992 Olympic Women’s Doubles Silver Medal

• 1993 World Championships Women’s Team Champion

• 1993 World Championships Women’s Singles & Doubles Semifinalist

• 1991 World Championships Women’s Doubles Champion

• 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 & 2005 North American Women’s Singles Champion

• 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2005 North American Women’s Doubles Champion

• 1994 U.S. Open Women’s Singles Champion

• 1992 Asian Cup Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 1990 Asian Games Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 1990 & 1991 World Cup Women’s Team Champion

• 8-time USA National Women’s Singles & Doubles Champion, 7-time Mixed Doubles Champion (undefeated at USA Nationals; did not play mixed doubles one year)

#6 Song Ah Sim                   HKG

Highest/Current World Ranking:     16/17

Age & Date of Birth:                24  08-17-81

• 2004 Russian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Semifinalist, Women’s Doubles Champion

• 5-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 5-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Runner-up

• 2003 Sweden ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 2004 World Championships Women’s Teams Runner-up

#7 Li Jiao                             NED

Highest/Current World Ranking:     18/18

Age & Date of Birth:                32  01-15-73

• 2005 European Championships Women’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2005 European Top 12 Women’s Singles Third Place

• 2004 Denmark ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Semifinalist

• 2004 Poland ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist, Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2005 World Championships Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

#8 Zhang Rui                       HKG

Highest/Current World Ranking:     15/20

Age & Date of Birth:                26  01-25-79

• 2005 Croatian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2005 Slovenia ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist, Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2004 Russian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Semifinalist

• 8-time ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2003 Brazilian ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2003 Asian Championships Women’s Teams Runner-up