Tang Peng Exceeds Expectations
Disappointment earlier in the day in the penultimate round of the Men’s Doubles event, when in harness with compatriot Wong Chun Ting, he suffered defeat against the Japanese pairing of Kenta Matsudaira and Koki Niwa.
On the evening of Saturday 13th December at the US$ 1,000,000 GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, it was the exact opposite emotion for Hong Kong’s Tang Peng.
The no.11 seed, against expectations, he beat Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the no.6 seed, in five games (11-9, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8) in their Men’s Singles quarter-final encounter.
A surprise result but not in the counterpart quarter-final in the lower half of the draw; Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov, the no.2 seed, accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the no.7 seed, in a classic seven games duel (11-8, 7-11,9-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9).
First Game Vital
Success for Dimitrij Ovtcharov but it was Tang Peng who attracted the immediate attention; fast and incisive the backhand, the side of the racket on which he uses short pimpled rubber, he was particular effective.
“I was down in the first game and came back to win; I think that was perhaps the most important game of the whole match”, said Tang Peng, who progressed to win the next two games before losing the fourth.
Responded
However, he responded immediately. In the fifth game he established a 10-7 lead, three match points. Vladimir Samsonov remained as calm as ever, he won the next two points. Tang Peng called “Time Out”.
“I had lost two points in a row it was time to calm down and settle the nerves”, said Tang Peng. “Also I needed to break the momentum of Vladimir Samsonov.”
Age Told
Success for Tang Peng in what was only their second ever meeting; they had confronted each other on the Men’s Team event in 2008 in Guangzhou at the Evergrande Real Estate World Championships.
On that occasion Tang Peng had won in four games and to celebrate victory leapt in the air like an Olympic high jumper.
“Yes that’s right”, smiled Tang Peng. “I remember, I was younger then; not now!”
