Experience counted in the Men’s Singles final at the Latin American Championships in Cancun on Saturday 6th March 2010, the day which brought six days of intense competition to a close.

Argentina’s 37 year old Liu Song beat the defending champion, Brazil’s Cazuo Matsumoto, a player 13 years his junior, to clinch the continental crown in the Mexican city.

At the final hurdle, Liu Song succeeded in four straight games, winning by the margin of 11-5, 11-15, 15-13, 11-6 to regain the title and secure the top prize for the fourth time in his career.

Earlier Appearances
Previously he had won in 1998 in Mexico City and in 2006 in Medellin, on both occasions beating Brazil’s Hugo Hoyama in the final; whilst in 2007 he succeeded in Guarulhos, overcoming the Dominican Republic’s Lin Ju in the gold medal contest.

Overall it was his sixth appearance in a Men’s Singles final at the Latin American Championships, in 2000 in the Chilean city of Coquimbo; he was beaten in the final by Hugo Hoyama, whilst in Uruguay’s Punta del Este in 2005 he suffered the same fate at the hands of Lin Ju.

Always Present
However, the victory in Cancun means that the ratio of success in the final outweighs the record of defeats and he remains very much the icon for his country. In the Latin American Championships, whenever Argentina has struck gold, Liu Song has been involved.

In 2006 alongside Pablo Tabachnik, Diego Temperley and Gaston Alto, he led Argentina to their one and only Men’s Team title; whilst in 2004, 2005 and 2008 he partnered Pablo Tabachnik to Men’s Doubles success.

Contrasting Styles
Two years after his most recent Men’s Doubles success the final in Cancun saw a battle of the left handers with contrasting styles it was the no.1 seed who prevailed in opposition to the no.4 seed.

Shakehands grip, Liu Song is quite unique in modern day table tennis, a vicious forehand topspin combined with blocking or backspin play from the long pimples on the backhand makes him a most difficult adversary.

Surprise Defeats
However, in 2009 he had not enjoyed the greatest of success; his victory in Cancun marks a welcome return to form. On two notable occasions he had been on the receiving end of surprise results against host nation rising stars.

At the H.I.S. World Championships in the Japanese city of Yokohama in April he suffered defeat at the hands of Kiki Niwa, 14 years old at the time and then in late October at the English Open he was beaten by 16 year old Liam Pitchford.

Both were heralded as notable results with the two teenagers overcoming a style of play to which they were certainly not accustomed.
Traditional Style
Similarly, Cazuo Matsumoto is a player with what is becoming a distinctive style and one that is dying out; penhold grip, using one side of the racket only as opposed to two sides from the modern day penholder, he proved himself a most astute competitor in 2009.

He became very much “Mr Intercontinental Champion.” At the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Moscow in October, he won the title and then two weeks later he was a member of the Brazilian team that won the same crown at the Men’s World Team Cup.

Opening Round Test
In Cancun he had to settle for runners up spot, but to gain that place he had to endure severe tests.

He was extended the full distance by the Dominican Republic’s Juan Vila in his opening encounter, before surrendering one game again Mexico’s Guillermo Muñoz and none in the quarter-finals in opposition to Ecuador’s Alberto Miño.

Colleague Poses Problems
A place in the semi-finals booked, it was there he experienced his most testing encounter, facing compatriot and second seed, Hugo Hoyama, he recovered from a three games to one deficit to succeed by the narrowest of margins in the seventh game to secure victory.

Similar
Similarly, Liu Song, after recording straight games wins over Guatemala’s Kevin Montufar and Chile’s Andres Calier experienced problems in the quarter-finals.

He had to recover from a three games to two deficit against the host nation’s Marcos Madrid to record a narrow seventh game success.

Win a close match and confidence blossoms; that was the case for Liu Song, at the penultimate stage he overcame Brazil’s Gustavo Tsuboi to reach the final and with an increasing confidence overcame Cazuo Matsumoto to clinch gold.

Magdeburg Awaits
The Liebherr Men’s World Cup in Magdeburg in late October now awaits Liu Song with the Intercontinental Cup being the first stage.

It will be the fifth time he has appeared in a Men’s World Cup.

Source: www.ittf.com

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