Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup Media Kit LOCATION: Saarbrücken, Germany SITE: Saarlandhalle, An der Saarlandhalle 1, D-66113 Saarbrücken DATE: Saturday 1 st Monday 3rd October 2016 PLAYERS: 20 TABLES: 2 TABLE BRAND: Donic Delhi 25 BALL BRAND: DHS FLOOR BRAND: Enlio (red) MEDIA CONTACT: ITTF Promotion Manager Matt Pound, mpound@ittfmail.com, +6586544715 DTTB Press Officer Simone Hinz, hinz.dttb@tischtennis.de, +496969501932 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup, which is the third most prestigious table tennis event of the year after the Olympic Games and World Team Table Tennis Championships; it is contested by 20 players. The Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup will be held in the Saarlandhalle. It is the third time that Germany has hosted the tournament; the previous occasions being in Magdeburg in 2010 and in Düsseldorf in 2014. The 20 players taking part at the Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup qualified through their Continental Cups, apart from wildcard entry Jeoung Youngsik (KOR). Pär Gerell (SWE) and Fan Zhendong (CHN) are the substitute players after Ma Long (CHN) current World Champion and Jun Mizutani (JPN) withdrew from the tournament. This preview is designed to provide an update on the Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup. Enclosed are statistics and notes that will be of assistance during the tournament. Players biographies as well as statistical, historical and personal data can be found on ITTF.com. Please make player interview requests through a member of the ITTF media staff located in the pressroom. Key Dates/Times 30 September 2016, 5:00pm @ Saarlandhalle (Press Conference room) Draw for Stage 1 1 October 2016, 12:00pm @ Saarlandhalle Day 1, Stage 1 1 October 2016, 7:00pm @ Saarlandhalle (TBD) Draw for Stage 2 2 October 2016, 12:00pm @ Saarlandhalle Day 2, Stage 2 2 October 2016, 5:00pm @ Saarlandhalle Day 2, Quarter-Final 3 October 2016, 11:00am @ Saarlandhalle Day 3, Semi-Final 3 October 2016, 2:30pm @ Saarlandhalle Day 3, match for 3 rd place 3 October 2016, 3:15pm @ Saarlandhalle Day 3, Final #ITTFWorldCup Page 1
Qualification The 20 players who contest the Liebherr 2016 Men s World Cup comprise: The current World Champion 17 players who qualified through their respective Continental Cups. If no players qualify from the host association through the above, the host association may nominate a player The final player is chosen by the ITTF as a wildcard. If the World Champion is not available or withdraws, he shall be replaced by the remaining highest ranked and highest finisher from the Continental Cups How the 17 places are determined through the Continental Cup: The winner of each Continental Cup, plus the second and third highest finishers from Asia and Europe qualify; a total of 10 players. Seven additional players are selected from the Continental Cups based on their order of finishing and their World Ranking. The highest ranked player amongst players finishing second in Africa, Latin America, North America, Oceania, and fourth in Asia and Europe, are selected. The highest ranked next player from the remaining players in the top most places on the qualifying positions from each Continental Cup, are selected, and so on, until the seven places are filled. # WR Sep 2016 Player Qualification Method 1 25 ARUNA Quadri (NGR) African Cup Winner 2 3 XU Xin (CHN1) Asian Cup Winner 3 31 CALDERANO Hugo (BRA) Latin American Cup Winner 4 291 FENG Yijun (USA) North American Cup Winner 5 299 POWELL David (AUS) Oceania Cup Winner 6 6 OVTCHAROV Dimitrij (GER1) Europe Cup Winner 7 9 WONG Chun Ting (HKG) Asian Cup 3 rd place (2 nd Qualifier) 8 40 GAO Ning (SGP) Asian Cup 4 th place (3 rd Qualifier) 9 42 MONTEIRO João (POR1) Europe Cup 2 nd place (2 nd Qualifier) 10 24 SHIBAEV Alexander (RUS) Europe Cup 3 rd place (3 rd Qualifier) 11 19 LEE Sangsu (KOR1) Asian Cup 6 th place 12 27 KARLSSON Kristian (SWE1) Europe Cup 4 th place 13 8 SAMSONOV Vladimir (BLR) Europe Cup 5 th place 14 21 FEGERL Stefan (AUT) Europe Cup 6 th place 15 17 APOLONIA Tiago (POR2) Europe Cup 7 th place 16 22 STEGER Bastian (GER2) Europe Cup 8 th place 17 18 GAUZY Simon (FRA) Europe Cup 9 th place 18 10 JEOUNG Youngsik (KOR2) Wild card 19 39 GERELL Pär (SWE2) Substitute 20 2 FAN Zhendong (CHN2) Substitute #ITTFWorldCup Page 2
Playing System The LIEBHERR 2016 Men s World Cup consists of two stages: Stage One In stage one, the players seeded nine to 20 (12 players) are drawn into four equal groups of three players, with all members of a group playing each other. Players seeded 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th head each group A, B, C and D respectively. Players seeded 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th are drawn randomly into the second position of each preliminary group. The remaining players seeded 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th are drawn randomly into the third and last position in each preliminary group If there are 2 players from the same Association, they will be drawn into separate groups. The top 2 finishers of each preliminary group shall join the top 8 seeded players in the second stage of the competition Stage Two Stage two is knock-out stage of the competition. The draw for seeded 1st 8th will be done according to ITTF Regulations. Seed 1 placed in position 1, seed 2 placed in position 16 Seeds 3 and 4 drawn between position 8 and 9 Seeds 5-8 drawn randomly into positions 4, 5, 12 and 13. Group winners from the preliminary stage will be drawn randomly into positions 3, 6, 11 and 14. The second place finishers of each group shall be drawn randomly into positions 2, 7, 10 and 15 of the draw; group winners and second place finishers from the same group will be drawn into opposite halves of the draw; there will be no separation by association. Losers of the semi-finals play each other for third place. All matches will be played to the best of 7 games. Prize Money Winner: US$45,000 Runner up: US$25,000 3 rd place: US$15,000 4 th place: US$10,000 5 th 8 th place: US$6,000 9 th 16 th place: US$3,250 17 th 20 th place: US$1,250 Total: US$150,000 #ITTFWorldCup Page 3
Past Winners and Locations Year Host City Gold Silver Bronze 2015 Halmstad Ma Long Fan Zhendong Dimitrij Ovtcharov 2014 Dusseldorf Zhang Jike Ma Long Timo Boll 2013 Verviers Xu Xin Vladimir Samsonov Dimitrij Ovtcharov 2012 Liverpool Ma Long Timo Boll Vladimir Samsonov 2011 Paris Zhang Jike Wang Hao Joo Saehyuk 2010 Magdeburg Wang Hao Zhang Jike Timo Boll 2009 Moscow Vladimir Samsonov Chen Qi Ma Long 2008 Liege Wang Hao Timo Boll Ma Long 2007 Barcelona Wang Hao Ryu Seungmin Wang Liqin 2006 Paris Ma Lin Wang Hao Wang Liqin 2005 Liege Timo Boll Wang Hao Ma Lin 2004 Hangzhou Ma Lin Kalinikos Kreanga Wang Hao 2003 Jiangyin Ma Lin Kalinikos Kreanga Wang Liqin 2002 Jinan Timo Boll Kong Linghui Zoran Primorac 2001 Courmayeur Vladimir Samsonov Wang Liqin Jörg Rosskopf 2000 Yangzhou Ma Lin Kim Taeksoo Wang Liqin 1999 Xiaolan Vladimir Samsonov Werner Schlager Zoran Primorac 1998 Shantou Jörg Rosskopf Kim Taeksoo Zoran Primorac 1997 Nimes Zoran Primorac Kong Linghui Vladimir Samsonov 1996 Nimes Liu Guoliang Jan-Ove Waldner Vladimir Samsonov 1995 Nimes Kong Linghui Jörg Rosskopf Liu Guoliang 1994 Taipei Jean-Philippe Gatien Jean-Michel Saive Zoran Primorac 1993 Guangzhou Zoran Primorac Wang Tao Johnny Huang 1992 Ho Chi Minh City Ma Wenge Kim Taeksoo Yoo Namkyu 1991 Kuala Lumpur Jörgen Persson Jean-Philippe Gatien Jan-Ove Waldner 1990 Chiba City Jan-Ove Waldner Ma Wenge Chen Longcan 1989 Nairobi Ma Wenge Andrzej Grubba Mikael Appelgren 1988 Guangzhou Andrzej Grubba Chen Longcan Jiang Jialiang 1987 Macao Teng Yi Jiang Jialiang Andrzej Grubba 1986 Port of Spain Chen Longcan Jiang Jialiang Kim Wan 1985 Foshan Chen Xinhua Andrzej Grubba Jiang Jialiang 1984 Kuala Lumpur Jiang Jialiang Kim Wan Ulf Bengtsson 1983 Barbados Mikael Appelgren Jan-Ove Waldner Erik Lindh 1982 Hong Kong Guo Yuehua Mikael Appelgren Xie Saike 1981 Kuala Lumpur Tibor Klampar Xie Saike Guo Yuehua 1980 Hong Kong Guo Yuehua Li Zhenshi Josef Dvoracek #ITTFWorldCup Page 4
Most Successful Men s World Cup Players Ma Lin (CHN) 4 (2006, 2004, 2003, 2000) Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) 3 (2009, 2001, 1999) Wang Hao (CHN) 3 (2010, 2008, 2007) MA Long (CHN) 2 (2015, 2012) Most Men s World Cup Appearances Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) will be taking part in his 17 th Men s World Cup. Jean-Michel Saive (BEL) 18 Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) 18 Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) 17 Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) 14 Players Information Seeding Name WR Hand Grip Play Style AGE 1 Fan Zhendong (CHN) 2 Right Shakehand Attacking 19 2 Xu Xin (CHN) 3 Left Penhold Attacking 26 3 Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) 6 Right Shakehand Attacking 28 4 Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) 8 Right Shakehand Attacking 40 5 Wong Chun Ting (HKG) 9 Right Penhold Attacking 25 6 Jeoung Youngsik (KOR) 10 Right Shakehand Attacking 24 7 Tiago Apolonia (POR) 17 Right Shakehand Attacking 30 8 Simon Gauzy (FRA) 18 Right Shakehand Attacking 21 9 Lee Sangsu (KOR) 19 Right Shakehand Attacking 26 10 Stefan Fegerl (AUT) 21 Right Shakehand Attacking 28 11 Bastian Steger (GER) 22 Right Shakehand Attacking 35 12 Alexander Shibaev (RUS) 24 Right Shakehand Attacking 26 13 Quadri Aruna (NGR) 25 Right Shakehand Attacking 28 14 Kristian Karlsson (SWE) 27 Left Shakehand Attacking 25 15 Hugo Calderano (BRA) 31 Right Shakehand Attacking 20 16 Par Gerell (SWE) 39 Left Shakehand Attacking 34 17 Gao Ning (SGP) 40 Right Shakehand Attacking 33 18 Joao Monteiro (POR) 42 Left Shakehand Attacking 33 19 Feng Yijun (USA) 291 Right Penhold Attacking 19 20 David Powell (AUS) 299 Right Shakehand Attacking 25 #ITTFWorldCup Page 5
Tournament Facts The 2016 Men s World Cup is the 37 th edition. 2016 is the 3 rd edition that Germany will host the Men s World Cup. The oldest competitor is Vladimir Samsonov (BLR), who is 40 years old. The youngest is Feng Yijun (USA) who is 19, a difference of 21 years! There are no defensive players in this year s edition of the Men s World Cup. Ma Long (CHN) and Jun Mizutani (JPN) withdrew from this year Men s World Cup and Par Gerell (SWE) and Fan Zhendong (CHN) are replacing them. New.ITTF.com Make sure you follow the LIEBHERR 2016 Men s World Cup on new.ittf.com to obtain the following: Head to head comparisons between each player Live results Up to date schedule Live streaming at ITTF.com/itTV Live updates of the action Rights free photos Upcoming ITTF calendar Past results Everything you need to know about international table tennis! #ITTFWorldCup Page 6