Marcos Freitas

The Portuguese Marcos Freitas who is disputing the Top 12 in Lyon Villeurbanne, France, accompanied by the coach Ricardo Faria, failed to move to the Men’s Quarter Final. The athlete lost today Saturday 4th February against the experienced Belarus player four times Top 12 winner, Vladimir Samsonov, with 2:4. In the afternoon he lost to Adrian Crisan with 0:4. Marcos was not at his best level as he is recovering from a back injury contracted during a daily training last Monday.

Freitas (Portugal), Steger (Germany), Gardos and Schlager both from Austria, were the four athletes who failed to reach the next round. Smirnov (Russia), Mattenet (France), Crisan (Romania) and Tokic (Slovenia) secure a place in the quarterfinal but were defeated and failed to move to the Semi Final. The four ‘survivors’ players qualified to the men’s semi final, Ovtcharov (Germany), Weixing (Austria), Samsonov (Belarus) and Skachkov (Russia) will play tomorrow Sunday 5th February to ensure their presence in the Final.

 Top 12 – Group D

• Marcos Freitas Vs. Vladimir Samsonov (2:4) – (5-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 2-11, 9-11)
• Marcos Freitas Vs. Adrian Crisan (0:4) – (6-11, 8-11, 11-13, 10-12)

Photo: ITTF

ETTU President Stefano Bosi announced today Friday in Lyon – Valleurbanne (France), the groups were the 12 best European athletes were placed in the Top 12 event. Portugal’s Marcos Freitas ranked number 11 of Europe’s was placed in the Group D along with Belarusia’s Vladimir Samsonov (No. 3) and Romania’s Adrian Crisan (No. 12).

Tomorrow Saturday 4th February at 11:00 Marcos will face the most experienced player with 17 apperances at the Top-12, Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus and currently number 3 of Europe.

Photo: ITTF / Alex Lomaev

Portugal’s international tenager player Marcos Freitas, goes down one place in the Men’s World ranking list, issued by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), for the month of February 2012. The athlete sponsored by TIBHAR and who plays at the French club AS Pontoise Cergy falls one position relatively to the previus month. He now appears at no.35 having previously been ranked at no.34. In the European ranking he now appears at no.13 being also the best Portuguese player in his country.

Photo: Maurício Val

Portugal’s Marcos Freitas ranked number 12 at the European Ranking will dispute the Top12, a competition managed by the ETTU (European Table Tennis Union). Marcos Freitas is also the only Portuguese player who will play this event and will be accompanied by the national coach Ricardo Faria. The 42nd edition of the European Top 12 will take place for the fourth time in France, in Lyon Villeurbanne, from 4 to 5 of February 2012. The Top 12 is a prestigious competition which gathers the top 12 players (women and men).

Portugal’s Marcos Freitas who plays at AS Pontoise Cergy at the French League, played at his highest level and beat yesterday in France one of the best players in the world, the ‘Mr. ECL ‘ Bielorussia’s Vladimir Samsonov with 3:2. Despite his great victory Pontoise  could not avoid the defeat by 1:3. The European Champions League  Quarter Final 2nd Round will take place on 24th February in Russia and Pontoise’s team will face again the Orenburg.

 Click to watch the match: Marcos Freitas Vs. Vladimir Sansonov (3:2)