Bastian Steger, Tan Ruiwu upset Samsonov and Ovtcharov at the European Championships

Bastian Steger

German Steger and Croatia's Tan Ruiwu took off the big names from the Men's singles draw of the European Table Tennis Championships. They beat the world's elite players, Samsonov and Ovtcharov.



Steger did not give any chance to Samsonov starting strongly winning the first game 13-11 after a fight. Samsonov seemed subdued in the next game, capitulating easily at 4-11. Steger, using his usual persistent attacking high spin technique, won the next game 11-8 and closed out the match with a 11-6 in the fourth and last game.

The match between Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Tan Ruiwu was a much closer affair. The hard working Ovtcharov completely dominated the first game at 11-1, but Ruiwu showed his intentions capturing the next one 11-8. Ovtcharov again tried to dominate the match winning the next game 11-4 and then captured the next one after a close fight when the game reached deuce (10-10). From this point on, Ruiwu went for broke and captured the next game 11-8. He did not relent in the next two games and won with the closest margin at 11-9 in each of the 6th and 7th games. The match provided immense thrill to the assembled audience.

News has just arrived that Timo Boll Adrian Crisan's party by beating him in the semi finals and reaching the finals. Yesterday's giant killers Bastian Steger and Tan Ruiwu will clash in the other Semi finals in just a while.