The quarter finals concluded with one big and two small favorite falls at the Final tournament of the Duesseldorf Masters. After the top rated upset caused by U23 talent Gerrit ENGEMANN over the world number 16 Patrick FRANZISKA and the defeats of Benedikt DUDA against Anton KALLBERG (Sweden) and Omar ASSAR (Egypt) against Steffen MENGEL only Dang QIU who was seeded on no. 4 was able to justify his role as favourite today. The two preliminary round matches (from 11am) and the final (2pm) will be broadcast live on Sunday on Sportdeutschland.TV Borussia-TV and tischtennis.de.
Gerrit ENGEMANN provided a big surprise. The 21-year-old talent from TTC GW Bad Hamm who replaced Dimitrij OVTCHAROV threw Saarbrucken’s Patrick FRANZISKA who was seeded no. 1 out of the title race in seven games. The 2019 U21 European Championship runner-up turned the match around just at the moment when the world number 16 seemed to be on the winning track with a 7:3 lead in the fifth game at 2:2. Second division player ENGEMANN took the game 11:8. After a 5-0 start the decisive game even went to the Westphalian player with 11:3.
Franziska praised his opponent but was also clearly self-critical: “Gerrit played quite well I rather less then perfect. I was not satisfied with my performance today. It’s good that the season will start in a few weeks. I’ve clearly noticed what deficits are still there.”
The proud surprise winner admitted afterwards: “I can’t really believe it myself right now. Patrick certainly didn’t have his best day and there were also difficult conditions due to the high humidity in the hall. But I played well and am very happy to have beaten a player who is so high in the world ranking. I’ve never managed that before.”
However Engemann who has already twice beaten World Rankings 76th Alberto MINO (Ecuador) in the Masters Series attributes his good form to the intensive training of the last months: “The very long training phase through Corona has been good for me. It was really time to work intensively on the basics. I feel that I’m playing better and better.”
DTTB-sport director Richard PRAUSE praised the performance of the talent: “Even if Patrick can certainly play better Gerrit certainly deserves this victory with many good balls and a strong performance today.”
21-year-old Tobias HIPPLER also did well in his match against penholder ace Dang QIU. After all the underdog from Cologne after a 4:8 deficit in the third game managed a 1:2 connection against the world number 52nd from Grunwettersbach. In the fifth game the second-division player who is getting better and better into the match also worked his way up three game points but missed the entry into the sixth game.
Favourite Dang QIU then praised his opponent: “Tobi improved during the match and almost reached the sixth game. It was a good match from both of us. I’m happy that I won 4-1 and that it didn’t get any tighter.”
Tobias HIPPLER said: “Tactically I made a few mistakes today that I can’t win such a match with. But overall it was quite okay: tactically not perfect but play-wise quite good.”
In the semi-final QIU now has to face the surprise semi-finalist Gerrit ENGEMANN on Sunday at 11 am. In the previous Masters editions both opponents had already faced each other several times. Engemann remembers the previous duels less fondly: “We played three times and so far I haven’t been able to win a game. That’s why my goal on Sunday is to win a game. But of course I hope that I can annoy Dang a bit more.”
Third German in the semi-finals is Steffen MENGEL who entered the tournament with a wild card. The Spanish-Open semi-finalist dominated the Egyptian Omar ASSAR in the 4-0 win. The player from Muhlhausen was the more aggressive player in the duel between the two top spin artists from the beginning and never let the world rankings 38th find his game.
Even if it was already the second Masters victory for the German over the multiple African champion Mengel had not expected such a clear result: “I was surprised myself that it became so clear today. But I played almost flawlessly over the four games so that Omar also seemed a bit dismayed at the end. But even if the result looks clear I had to be wide awake in every rally until the end to prevent such a game from turning around. The decisive factor was that I managed to play very aggressively right from the start and put Omar under pressure. That’s when such a result comes about.”
Gentleman ASSAR congratulated: “I couldn’t find the rhythm for my game today. I congratulate Steffen. He played great.”
In the semi-finals on Sunday at 11:50 a.m. Steffen MENGEL faces the Swede Anton KALLBERG who defeated the world number 38 Benedikt DUDA 4-2 today.
For Kallberg it was the second success within a few weeks in the quarter finals over the man from Bergneustadt whom he had also defeated in the final of the eighth Masters edition.
Anton Kallberg was satisfied: “It was a very close match between Benne and me in which serve and gameback were very dominant. But the main thing was that I won. In the end the deciding factor was that Benne made a few more simple mistakes. But I’m also in good shape a week ago I won a tournament in Sweden. Tomorrow I’ll train once and rest otherwise to be fit for the semi-finals on Sunday.”
Benedikt DUDA admitted after the defeat: “Anton played well today. I didn’t have enough resources today to win the match. That’s why he deserved to win.”
Duesseldorf Masters final tournament (21 and 23 August)
Final August 23 Final August 23
2 p.m.
Semifinal August 23
Dang Qiu GER – Gerrit Engemann GER 11 o’clock
Steffen Mengel GER – Anton Kallberg SWE directly after but not before 11.50 a.m.
Quarterfinal August 21
Patrick Franziska GER (seeding positioin 1) – Gerrit Engemann GER 3:4 (6 -9 8 -10 -8 8 -3)
Dang Qiu GER (4) – Tobias Hippler GER 4:1 (6 8 -9 4 12)
Benedikt Duda GER (3) – Anton Kallberg SWE 2:4 (6 -10 -8 -1 9 -10)
Omar Assar EGY (2) – Steffen Mengel GER 0:4 (-3 -5 -4 -2)
