Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Wu Jiaduo, won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Europe Top 12, which concluded in the French town of Lyon Villeurbanne on Sunday 5th February 2012. Both started proceedings as the top seeds, both finished proceedings on the top step of the medal podium.

At the final hurdle Dimitrij Ovtcharov overcame Russia’s Kirill Skackov in four straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4); whilst at the same stage Wu Jiaduo defeated Li Jie of the Netherlands. 

However, for Wu Jiaduo, it was a rather more testing duel.

Full Distance
She was extended the full distance.

Eventually she prevailed in a seven games duel (11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-7).

Different Paths
However, the paths the final were somewhat different.

Throughout Dimitrij Ovtcharov remained unbeaten. Wu Jiaduo did not.

Unbeaten
Dimitrij Ovtchariv finished in first place in his group, accounting for Austria’s Werner Schlager (11-8, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5) and Slovenia’s Bojan Tokic (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-7) to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Safely through to the last eight, he accounted for Romania’s Adrian Crisan (11-8, 1-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6) and Austria’s Chen Weixing (11-7, 11-8, 12-14, 16-14, 9-11, 11-3) to reach the final, where in the guise of Kirill Skachkov, he met the surprise package of the event.

Russian Surprise
The 24 year old Russian had finished in second place in his group; he was beaten by Austria’s Chen Weixing in his opening contest (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7) but then recovered to overcome Germany’s Bastian Steger (11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8).

A place in the quarter-finals reserved, he excelled to overcome compatriot, Alexey Smirnov, the winner of the title in 2005 in six games (7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 14-12, 11-8), before accounting for Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus in an event closer duel. Kirill Skachkov overcame the man who has won the title four times and has been the runner up in the last four consecutive years, in what proved the closest match of the tournament.

He won in seven games (6-11, 12-10, 1-11, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 15-13).

Lost First Match
Meanwhile for Wu Jiaduo, the path to the final was somewhat different; in fact she lost her very first match of the tournament!
In the group stage of proceedings she was beaten in six games by Luxembourg’s evergreen Ni Xia Lian in six games (7-11, 11-5, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9) but then recovered to beat Spain’s Shen Yanfei in four straight games (11-5, 13-11, 11-9, 11-9).

Wu Jiaduo finished in second place in the group with Ni Xia Lian overcoming Shen Yanfei in seven games (7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6).

Hard Fought Contests
Second position in the group meant a quarter-final place and series of hard fought matches to clinch the title.

The final against Li Jie demanded seven games, so did the quarter-final in opposition to Romania’s Elizabeta Samara (8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8) and the ensuing semi-final was equally tenses; Wu Jiaduo beat Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus in six games (9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 11-4, 11-5).

Revenge for Germany
A place in the final booked, success for Wu Jiaduo and to some extent it was revenge for Germany.

At the quarter-final stage Li Jie had beaten Irene Ivancan in six games (11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 10-12, 11-9) before ending the quite remarkable run of Ni Xia Lian in six games (10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8).

Fourth Time
It was the fourth time in 43 years of history of the Europe Top 12 that both champions came from the same country. 

The most recent previous occasion also saw German success; in 2003 Timo Boll and Jie Schöpp were the respective winners.

Prior to that date, Sweden’s Kjell Johansson and Ann-Christin Hellman were the respective winners in 1975; whilst in 1971, the Hungarians Istvan Jonyer and Beatrix Kishazi accomplished the same feat.

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