World Championships in Paris: The end of the quarter final for Baum

Maybe there was only one point missing

What a bitter defeat! With 1:4 (9,-6,-10,-2,-3) DONIC star Patrick Baum had dropped from the quarter final of the World Championships against the World Champion and Olympic Winner Zhang Jike, but the chance to achieve much more was considerably bigger than the result shows. Maybe Patti was missing only one point which would have been enough for the 2:1 leading in sets, as until that time it was not clear.
Nearly three sets long Baum didn’t only keep up with the World Champion and Olympic winner, he even was the better player! From the beginning Patti hold his ground even during the long rallies, both during the fight backhand against backhand and during the long forehand topspin duels. Then it was 1:1 in sets and in the third round Baum was leading 10:5 when the disaster took his course. Zhang Jike made a point; then at 10:6, Patti was missing a forehand topspin even being in a good position – 10:7. When it was 10:8, it was Baum’s serve, but here a time out would have made sense maybe. But his coach, Zhu Xiaoyong, only took the time out when it was 10:9. He was hoping that the towel break at 10:8 would be sufficient to concentrate again, explained the assistant coach of the German table tennis association later on. Patti Baum said that the late time out would not have been decisive. “Afterwards you can always say things like this, but this wasn’t vital. I was leading 10:5 and was able to win the set, that’s fact”, he said annoyed.
However, even worse than loosing the set was that from then on Patti couldn’t achieve anything, Zhang Jike, however, was very successful. “In the next set I directly played two horrible backhand shots.” And Baum wasn’t able to come over his disappointment about the narrow lost third set, this matter totally distracted him. “When it is 2:1, that’s totally different”, he said. Thus he played more powerful from both sides and he presented a mental weakness. That wasn’t a good idea”, he said self-critically.
The bottom line is that these were Baum’s best World Championships ever. With an outstanding performance he didn’t only reach the quarter final, but was able to put the World Champion during three sets under an enormous pressure. “That was a super tournament for him”, said also the head coach of the German Table Tennis Association. “By reaching the quarter final Patti has qualified for the World Cup, he will make a step forward in the world ranking, and the tournament should make him more confident, as he is able to keep up at the top.
Minutes after the match against Zhang Jike, Baum obviously couldn’t be happy about all that. “The disappointment was huge. You don’t always get such a chance in life”, he explained. „I didn’t win the medal. I wanted to win the match and it was possible – today I had the chance.”
Later on, however, Patti will surely realise that he has presented a very strong performance. To see that he is able to keep up with World Champion and Olympic Winner Zhang Jike is more than encouraging. However, he has to learn managing a disappointment better, in case he is losing a set like this. Jörg Roßkopf commented: “If Patti continues to play like he did in the first three sets, he is able to win.”
As Timo Boll has also lost 2:4 against Ma Long, this evening there will be a Chinese semi-final: Ma Long – Wang Hao and Xu Xin – Zhang Jike.

 

World Championships in Paris: Baum wins over Ovtcharov in the round of the best sixteen

Tomorrow Patti wants to win a medal

The quarter finalists of the World Championships in Paris are determined – and DONIC star Patrick Baum is among them! With an extremely impressive performance he won over his friend Dimitrij Ovtcharov with 4:1 (9,-9,10,9,2) in the fight of the two DONIC stars and tomorrow at 14:00 in the Palais Omnisports in Paris he’ll play against World Champion and Olympic winner Zhang Jike. The 25 year old is one of five Chinese which have reached the round of the best eight – together with two Germans and one Japanese.
“Today Patti was mentally a bit more clear in the decisive moments”, confirmed the unhappy loser Ovtcharov, “I was too nervous”. In the first four sets it was always 9:9, but Baum won three of them. And afterwards he explained: “I have managed quite a good tactic and was also very self-confident considering our last match in the Champions League where I had won against him.
First, however, it had looked a bit different. At the beginning Dima Ovtacharov was controlling the game. Both started very aggressive. First Ovtcharov was very successful; he won 6:0 and 7:1. But then Baum was catching up point after point and when it was only 8:7, Dima took his time-out. In fact when Patti won the point from the 6:8 to the 7:8, the silence was broken when he cheered about a failed forehand topspin of his opponent. Promptly the one year younger Ovtcharov replied when he made the next point with a forehand topspin. But after after the 9:7 there was a 9:11, as from now on Baum played brilliantly.
Ovtcharov shook it up and started again extremely good. With 6:1 he was very far ahead – but Patti came back again. Again and again he blocked the topspins of his friend – here you could see how often both had practised together and that Baum exactly knew where Ovtcharov plays the ball. When it was 8:8, Baum could make the 9:8 and was leading. Then however, Dima came back again: He ended a brilliant rally with a tough backhand topspin, another topspin made the first set ball and when Baum played the ball into the net, Dima didn’t hesitate to rejoice the 11:9.
And it continued like this. In the third round it was 9:9 too, Dima worked hard on a set ball but couldn’t make use of it. 10:12.
In the fourth set again 9:9, this time after Baum was leading 9:7. But again Patti had the better end. And being 3:1 sets ahead, he played very self-confident, hit every ball and dominated over the favourite Ovtachrov 11:2.
“If you lose such a set like the first one after leading 7:1 before, then it’s difficult”, said Dima afterwards with disapproval. Even at the moment of his big triumph, however, Patti showed was real friendship means. When both briefly hugged after the match ball, he said to his long-time companion: “I’m sorry.”
Apart from Baum, also Timo Boll is still in the tournament. The 32-year clearly old won over Seiya Kishikawa (Japan) with 4:0 and plays against the second of the world ranking Ma Long. Xu Xin, number one in the world, plays against the Japanese Kenta Matsudeira who has won over Vladimir Samsonov with 4:3 in the round of the best sixteen. And the third of the world ranking Wang Hao (China) will meet his compatriot Yan An.
For the German table tennis Association this is a first. Never before two German men reached the quarter final in the singles of a World Championship. DONIC star Patti, however, won’t yet be satisfied with this result. Yesterday already, after having reached the round of the best sixteen, he had explained that this wouldn’t mean a lot to him. “As for me great emotions only arise when winning a medal”. Of course, he was beaming at this victory, but confirmed his attitude again. “That’s not enough. Against Zhang Jike it will be very difficult, of course, but I’m glad having the chance to win a medal.”
In case Baum is able to win on Zhang Jike, he would probably meet Xu Xin in the semi-final. But it’s a long way until there…..

World Championships in Paris

Now the friends have to play against each other

How does it feel, if you have to play against your best friend? And even in the round of the best sixteen at a World Championships?
This evening the DONIC stars Patrick Baum and Dimitrij Ovtcharov will know how it feels, as at 21:45 they’ll play against each other in the Palais Omnisports in Paris.
“From my point of view it’s a very difficult match against Patti”, says Dima, and that’s no false modesty. “We are the players in the national team who play most against each other and have practised most together. We have known each other since we were ten years old.
Since they were students both marched shoulder to shoulder to the top and since that time they have been close friends, nearly like brothers. Patrick Baum confirmed: “In the national team we have made the most training matches against each other.” And then quickly adds: “Dima is the favourite, of course.”
Ovtcharov the favourite? Although they know themselves inside out, every single move, every serve, every run? “When practising he wins 70 to 80 per cent of the matches”, explained Patti, “therefore he’s the favourite.”
However, Dimitrij Ovtcharov could leave the matter like this. “The last time we had an official match at international level was in the Champions League”, he remembered. “At that time Patti had won the match.”
In fact there seem to be some disadvantages for Ovtcharov, the nominal stronger player. He doesn’t like the starting time of the match at 21:45. Dima is an early bird and prefers to play in the morning. On the other hand, Ovtcharov likes to play a bit aggressive what he also presents in the box. The clenched fist and the shout of joy are included, but against his friend Patti, he might have inhibitions to present himself like this.
Whatever the result will be, one DONIC star will win and reach the quarter final of the World Championships and there he’ll probably meet the World Champion and Olympic winner Zhang Jike.
With Timo Boll there is another German player who will have the chance to get among the best 8 men. Boll plays this evening at 19:45 against the Japanese Seiya Kishikawa.

World Championships in Paris

Also Patti Baum is among the best 16!

The DONIC stars march on for Germany. After Dimitrij Ovtacharov also Patrick Baum has reached the round of the best sixteen at the World Championships in Paris and tomorrow the two friends will play against each other.
“It was a hard and difficult match”, said the left-hand player after his 4:2 (-11,9,7,11,-7,6) – success over Emmanuel Lebesson. The French player who is still in the tournament was a big challenge for Patti, put an enormous pressure on him in the serve-backhand-game and attacked him again and again with hard forehand topspins. But Baum stood up and kept strong nerves, even when it became critical. “Later Patti has played his serves with more spin and better placement, explained the assistant coach of the German Table Tennis Association, Zhu Xiaoyong, who has been Baum’s coach for years already. “And above all he played the first ball more aggressively, with more rotation.”
Time and again the DONIC star got his opponent and made parallel backhand topspins. The 6000 fans in the Palais Omnisports, mainly French, of course, got more quiet and then more enthusiastic again when it was 6:6 in the fifth set, as due to a break Baum lost his playing rhythm for a short time und thus lost four points in series. The electronic scorers were out of order and additionally the umpire didn’t allow Patti to put his towel where he was used to put it. “My whole life I was allowed to put my towel on the left side and suddenly I’m not allowed anymore. I cannot understand that”, he said with disapproval.
But Patrick Baum recovered and for the first time in his life he reached the round of the best sixteen of the World Championships. The tournament might have even more for him in store tomorrow – but one thing is sure: One DONIC star will reach the quarter final of the world championships – Dima Ovtcharov or Patti Baum.