Kenta Matsudaira's 1st ITTF World Junior Circuit Crown
May 30, 2008

Kenta Matsudaira Photo by: Ireneusz Kanabrodzki

Courtesy of ITTF Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira, the top seed, duly confirmed his exalted position by winning the Boys’ Singles crown at the Polish Junior Open in Cetniewo on Thursday May 29, 2008 beating Hungary’s Daniel Kosiba at the final hurdle. The winner of the Boys’ Singles event at the ITTF World Junior Championships in Cairo in December 2006 and victorious on several occasions in Under 21 Men’s Singles events on the ITTF Pro Tour, the victory in Cetniewo was the first gold in a Boys’ Singles event on the ITTF World Circuit.

In the final he won 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6.

Close to Defeat
However, he came very close to defeat.

“Daniel Kosiba was leading by three games to two and 10-8 in the fifth, he had two match points”, explained Didier Leroy, the ITTF Competition Manager on duty at the Polish Youth Open. “However, like a magician Kenta came back; in the seventh game he went ahead 4-1, Daniel Kosiba recovered to level at 6-all.”

Time Out
Daniel Kosiba was on the way back and then quite inexplicably the Hungarian camp called “Time Out”. It proved a disastrous move; Kenta Matsudaira won the next five points to be crowned champion.

Reminder
The recovery was a reminder of what had happened at the semi-final stage of the Boys’ Singles event at the ITTF World Junior Championships in December 2006; on that occasion he trailed Dimitrij Ovtcharov by three games to two. He saved three match points in the sixth game before winning the seventh and eventually progressing to capture the crown.

Below Best
“Kenta is not yet at his best, he is and down”, continued Didier Leroy. “He hasn’t found his rhythm but his has not lost the control aspect of his game despite a long injury.”

Success for Kenta Matsudaira who had beaten Japanese colleagues at both the quarter and semi-final stages; in the quarters he overcame Asuka Macchi (12-10, 11-9, 11-2, 11-3, 11-8) before recording a semi-final victory over Koki Niwa (11-8, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8) who one round earlier had defeated Germany’s Christoph Schmidl 6-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4.

Iranian Hopes Ended
Meanwhile, Daniel Kosiba defeated Poland’s Patryk Chojnowski of Poland, the number two seed, in the quarters before ousting Germany’s Erk Bottroff in the semis. In the round of the last eight Erik Bottrff had ended Iranian hopes by beating Noshad Alamiyan.

Daniel Kosiba overcame Patryk Chojnowski 11-3, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 and Erik Bottroff 4-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9; while Erok Bottfoff defeated Noshad Alamiyan 11-8, 12-10, 11-2, 11-6.

Opportunities Missed
A quarter-final defeat for Patryk Chojnowski in the singles but in the Boys’ Doubles it was gold; in partnership with Polish colleague, Pavel Fertikowski, the duo overcame the Swedes Harald Andersson and Viktor Brodd in a tension packed five games duel and the losers must be kicking themselves.

At one game all, they led 7-1 in the third and lost, then in the vital fifth game they were ahead 10-7 before suffering defeat.

Patryk Chojnowski and Pavel Fertikowski won 11-1, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11.