Timo Bolls wins Austrian Open

Monday, November 3, 2008

Germany’s Timo Boll and Poland’s Li Qian won the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles respectively at the Erke Austrian Open in Salzburg on Sunday 2nd November 2008, recording comprehensive victories at both the semi-final and final stages.

In the penultimate round Timo Boll beat compatriot Patrick Baum before overcoming second seed Chinese Taipei’s Chuan Chih-Yuan, whilst at the same stages Li Qian overcame Li Jie of the Netherlands and Hungary’s Krisztina Toth.

It was for top seed Timo Boll his twelfth Men’s Singles title at an open international tournament on the ITTF Pro Tour and ended a drought of two years without success; the previous victory being in Poland in 2006.
Meanwhile for Li Qian it was her second ITTF Women’s Singles crown; she had previously won in 2006 in Poland.

Success for Timo Boll and Li Qian, whilst for those who suffered in the semi-finals there was a degree of consolation.

It was for Japan’s Reiko Hiura who suffered a penultimate round defeat at the hands Krisztina Toth, her best performance of the year; whilst for Li Jie, Patrick Baum and Poland’s Wang Zeng Yi, who lost to Chuan Chih-Yuan, it was their first semi-final appearance in a singles event on the ITTF Pro.

Men’s Singles
SF Timo Boll (GER) bt Patrick Baum (GER) 11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2
SF Chuan Chih-Yuan (TPE) bt Wang Zeng Yi (POL) 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4

F Timo Boll (GER) bt Chuan Chih-Yuan (TPE) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8

Women’s Singles
SF Krisztina Toth (HUN) bt Reiko Hiura (JPN) 12-10, 11-8, 11-1, 12-10
SF Li Qian (POL) bt Li Jie (NED) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 12-14, 11-8

F Li Qian (POL) bt Krisztina Toth (HUN) 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5

ITTF Press Release