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