Senior EC

Now the World Champion became also European Champion

During his long career he has nearly won everything what there is to win in the world of table tennis. And although Mikael Appelgren’s brilliant international career in the shirt of the Swedish National team ended some years ago, the DONIC star still is a man for special moments. And he proved this also at the Senior European Championships in Bremen which ended on Saturday – with Appelgren’s 3:2 (-6,8,-4,8,9) success in the class “over 50” over the Austrian Ding Yi.

This wasn’t without saying, of course. “I knew that it would be difficult, as Ding Yi used to be quite a good player in Europe, too”, said the winner and revealed: “I often won over him with good, very short balls and shots far to the outside.” And this time I did the same.

Before the Swede had to fight hard against Georg Böhm in the semi-final, like he used to do in some international matches against the former German Champion. And the DONIC star only narrowly won over Böhm with 3:2 in the decisive set after he had been 3:6 behind. In the end, however, he was able to come up to his role as the favourite in Bremen. As one year ago in Stockholm, he had won the World Champion title in this age group, too.

DONIC, however, didn’t only present the most prominent winner of this senior EC, but was also the equipment supplier and was mainly responsible for the success of this huge event. During six days more than 2900 active players fought for titles in various age groups in the ÖVB arena in Bremen/Germany and all matches were played on DONIC tables and with DONIC nets – and nearly everything went smoothly.

No wonder that the German Table Tennis Association was satisfied and said that it was a very successful event. Thus DONIC offers the basis for success and fun not only for great stars but for everybody.

European Championships Seniors

A reunion with Appelgren

The tournament belongs to the biggest table tennis events in the world and as it often happens at international tournaments, DONIC supplies the tables. The traditional company from Völklingen, Germany supplies the 120 tables and nets for all matches of the men at the Senior European Championships which start in Bremen on Monday.
And this means: More than 2900 active players will fight for the titles from Monday to Saturday in the ÖVB-arena. A lot of the participants, however, have more their fun and sociality in mind. And for one of the title holders both aspects apply. Mikael Appelgren, four times World Champion, eight times European Champion (three times of them in singles’ competition). Winner of the World Cup and the Europe Top 12, starts in the class “over 50” in order to defend the title he won over a year ago in Stockhom. The Swede achieved all his success as a DONIC partner, the company which has been his equipment supplier since the start of his career, and also in Bremen he starts as a DONIC player, of course. “I also want to drink some good German beer”, said the left-hand player with the fast legs smiling.
Also in the royal class “over 40” two prominent DONIC players start. The long-time German top player Heiko Wirkner and Steffen Fetzner, double World Champion of 1989, don’t only play in singles* competition, but also together in doubles’ completion.
Here at this place, DONIC will also report about the result of this tournament.

World Championships in Paris

Only the World Champions are able to win over Patti Baum

The 52nd World Championships in Paris ended with a success of the Chinese. The Olympic Champions Zhang Jike and Li Xiaoxia have also won the singles titles at the World Championships – for Zhang Jike it was the second time in series. In a new edition of the World Championships final of Rotterdam in 2011 and Olympic final of London in 2012, the Chinese won over his compatriot Wang Hao, this time with 4:2.
Thus at this tournament DONIC star Patrick Baum has only lost against the later World Champions. In double competition he dropped out with Bastian Steger against Chuang Chih-Yuan / Chen Chien-An, and after the narrow 2:4 both had two reasons to be annoyed, as in the next rounds the two Germans could see what would have been possible: The Taiwanese won gold through a success in the final over Ma Lin / Hao Shuai (China)!
However, Baum was even more annoyed after he had missed the medal in single competition. He had strongly believed in his chance against title holder Zhang Jike and three sets long he had played like this. The 8000 spectators in the palais Omnisports kept on being amazed, as DONIC star Patti Baum was the better player at the table, even during the long and spectacular rallies – until the time when he lost the third set after he had been leading 10:5.
In Paris Baum has played his best World Championsips ever and it also ended achieving his best result ever, this means reaching the quarter final. Even more: In Paris he’s proved that he’s got a high potential to the top. Head coach of the men’s team Jörg Roßkopf confirmed: “Patti certainly is the most complete table tennis player we have in Germany. He’s able to do a passive and active game equally well and he moves very well.”
That’s what he impressively proved when winning over his friend Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the round of the best sixteen and thus prevented that DONIC star Dima was able to fight for the medal.
Not only his position in the world ranking but also his position in the national team should improve now. If he is able to confirm this performance, he might be the clear number three in the German team – he will even have the chance to catch up with Timo Boll and Dima Ovtachrov. This would be great for the German as well as for the European table tennis sport, as both didn’t win a medal in Paris. China won 14 of the 20 medals, the other six went to Asia. The director of the German table tennis association, Dirk Schimmelpfennig explained: “I think that Europe urgently has to do the next step in order to become more competitive again.”
And the DONIC stars Patti Baum and Dima Ovtcharov belong to the greatest hopes.

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.