Al Sadd players and coach celebrate after winning the Emir Cup at Qatar Sports Club yesterday. Al Sadd defeated Eljaish 3-2 in the final. BOTTOM: Al Sadd’s Mohammed Muthana Al Awlaqi gets ready to serve during the Emir Cup final, yesterday.PICTURES BY: SHAIVAL DALAL
BY DENZIL PINTO
DOHA: Al Sadd lifted the Table Tennis Emir Cup trophy after beating Eljaish 3-2 in an entertaining final at Qatar Sports Club yesterday.
With the scores level at two-all, Al Sadd’s Mohammed Muthana Al Awlaqi rallied from one-set down to beat Eljaish’s Ahmed Khaled Al Mohannadi 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9) and clinch the deciding game and title.
The championship point was celebrated with huge roars from the Al Sadd camp and go home QR130,000 richer, while Eljaish picked up a cheque of QR90,000.
Al Sadd coach Ference Fischer admitted it was a big surprise to win the prestigious title. The Hungarian said: “This is a big big surprise because Eljaish had Wang Liqin – who is one of the very best players in the world and they have the top player in Qatar (Al Mohannadi). That experience should be enough for them to win the title.”
“I’m very happy to win. This year we took the league title and now we took this Emir Cup it is the perfect feeling. I hope this win can give confidence to my players and I requested my players to show what they can do. And every player gave more than 100 per cent in their matches today (yesterday),” added Fischer, who has spent 17 years in Qatar.
In the best-of-five game final, Al Sadd drew first blood when China’s Jin Xiaong beat Al Mohannadi in four games (12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6).
Eljaish, who reached the Emir Cup final for the first time, soon levelled the scores, courtesy of a straight-set victory by three-time former world champion Liqin against Al Awlaqi.
The 31-year-old proved to be too strong with the world number nine clinching the first set 11-5.
In the second game, Liqin took control showing the talent that made him win three world titles. Leading 9-2, the Chinese wasted little time and secured the second set with the scoreline at 11-4.
With hope of trying to reduce the deficit, Al Sadd’s Al Awlaqi had no answer to Liqin’s attacking threats in the third set, as Li Qin wrapped up the game 11-5.
In one of the most entertaining games, Al Sadd’s Abrahman Al Najjer overcame Eljaish’s Nasser Al Mohannadi in straight sets. In a game that consisted of many rallies and smart winners, Al Najjer won 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 12-10), to give Al Sadd a 2-1 lead in the final.
With Al Sadd one game away from victory, Liqin made sure the final went to a decider with a dominant performance against Xiaong. Liqin, who won gold medal in the doubles category at the Olympic Games in Sydney, dropped only 18 points as he cruised past his opponent 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-6) in front of many Eljaish fans at the venue.
THE PENINSULA
