Morocco Open: Top Seeds Secure Singles Crowns
Monday, July 13, 2009
ITTF Press Release - Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus and Japan�s Ai Fukuhara, the top seeds, won the respective Men�s and Women�s Singles titles at the Morocco Open Hassan II in Rabat on Friday 10th July 2009 recording respective final wins over Spain�s Carlos Machado and Korea�s Seok Ha Jung.
Both enjoyed the privilege of being the top seeds but in terms of career history they are poles apart. The victory in Rabat was the 20th Men�s Singles title won by Vladimir Samsonov on the ITTF Pro Tour, for Ai Fukuhara it was her first ever Women�s Singles crown and it brought to an end a dismal run of performances in 2009.
It was for Carlos Machado and Seok Ha Jung totally new heights in their careers; the previous best for Machado was a third round exit in Korea and Brazil in 2006 whilst for Seok Ha Jung it was a quarter-final farewell in Qatar in 2008.
Success for Ai Fukuhara over Seok Ha Jung in the Women�s Singles final and it was the same in the Women�s Doubles gold medal duel where with 16 year old Kasumi Ishikawa the duo overcame Kim Jung Hyun and Seok Ha Jung.
Meanwhile, in the Men�s Doubles final it was gold for France; Loic Bobiller joined forces with French colleague, Armand Phung to beat the combination of Bulgaria�s Stanislav Golovanov and Russia�s Maxim Shmyryev.
Men�s Singles
Semi-Finals
Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) bt Maxim Shmyryev (RUS) 11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7
Carlos Machado (ESP) bt El-Sayed Lashin (EGY) 11-3, 4-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-8
Final
Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) bt Carlos Machado (ESP) 15-13, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6
Women�s Singles
Semi-Finals
Ai Fukuhara (JPN) bt Park Seong Hye (KOR) 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5
Seok Ha Jung (KOR) bt Shim Se Rom (KOR) 12-10, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6
Final
Ai Fukuhara (JPN) bt Seok Ha Jung (KOR) 11-4, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 13-11
Men�s Doubles
Final
Loic Bobillier/Armand Phung (FRA) bt Stanislav Golovanov/Maxim Shmyryev (BUL/RUS)
Women�s Doubles
Final
Ai Fukuhara/Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN) bt Kim Jung Hyun/Seok Ha Jung (KOR) 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7
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http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=19006