by Simon Daish

Down by a three games deficit Timo Boll showed no signs of a man under pressure, hitting back with three consecutive game wins of his own to dramatically force the match into a decider.

All of a sudden the momentum was against Dimitrij Ovtcharov but the four-time champion wasn’t fazed by the challenge, eventually crossing the finish line by a four point margin to book his place in the gold medal match (11-9, 11-3, 11-3, 5-11, 4-11, 9-11, 11-7).

“Even when I was three games up, I knew there was still a long way to go. Timo did not play well at the beginning and I seized the opportunity to gain the advantage but it was not over. It was important that I remained confident and to kept pushing myself. I believed in myself even when Timo levelled.” Dimitrij Ovtcharov

One of the big stories of the 2019 Europe Top 16 Cup has been that of Daniel Habesohn a player who defied the odds with victories over Marcos Freitas and Simon Gauzy to gain a surprise spot in the last four.

However, a place in the final proved one step too far for the Austrian with Belarusian legend Vladimir Samsonov progressing in his place (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9).

“It was tough game, not many rallies; tactically very demanding. I had to be focused on each ball. I am looking forward duel with my club mate Ovtcharov. I can only promise good match for the spectators.” Vladimir Samsonov

Two fixtures remain in the Men’s Singles event with the bronze medal contest taking place from 3.05pm local time and the final scheduled for 4.45pm.