Marcos Freitas

Portugal’s international tenager player Marcos Freitas has been making progress in the Men’s World ranking list issued by the International Table Tennis Federation ITTF for the month of July 2010. The athlete sponsored by TIBHAR and that during this season will play for the Germans of TTF LIEBHERR Ochsenhausen, improved five position relatively to the previus month. He now appears at no.65 of world. In the Men’s European World ranking list, Marcos has also made progress since he went up tree positions and moved from number 35 to number 32.

Photo: ITTF

Portugal’s international tenager player Marcos Freitas, has been making progress in the Men’s World ranking list, issued by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), for the month of June 2010. The Olympic athlete sponsored by TIBHAR who will play this season for the German club of TTF LIEBHERR Ochsenhausen, improved in twenty positions relatively to the previus month. He now appears at no.70 having previously been ranked at no.90. He is also ranked number 35 at Men’s European ranking.

Photo: ITTF

Two matches completed, two wins and both full distance nail-biting successes. It is for Portugal dreamland at the Liebherr World Team Championships in Moscow, Russia, when the young Portugal’s team won yesterday North Korea and today Austria’s team, both with 3:2. On the first day of play Marcos Freitas beat North Korea’s Jang Song Man to secure victory for Portugal; he won in three straight games with the margins of 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.

One day later on Monday 24th May 2010, he was in exactly the same position and once again he responded; only this time he kept the whole crowd in the Olimpijsky Sports Complex on tenterhooks. In the contest against Austria, he recovered from a two-games to one deficit against Robert Gardos to secure victory on his fifth match point, 15-13 in the crucial fifth game. Portugal celebrated, Austria sat dumfounded. Marcos Freitas was once again the hero but the whole of the Iberian Peninsula must take their hats off to the splendid Tiago Apolónia. Against North Korea he remained unbeaten, he won both his matches; in opposition to Austria, he did exactly the same. The three wins for Portugal all came in five games duels whilst for Austria their wins were more comfortable. Werner Schlager beat Marcos Freitas in straight games whilst in one game more Chen Weixing defeated João Monteiro. The happy delighted coach Ricardo Faria, is the Portuguese Men’s team head coach, it was an understatement, his smile stretched from Funchal to Lisbon across the Atlantic Ocean. Tiago and Marcos are in good shape and João is recovering from injury. Today he lost to Chen Weixing but that was a really hard match for him, lots of long rallies against defence. Not having played that much he is really tired but he fought, he gave his best playing and he gave his best cheering Marcos Freitas to victory. In the fifth game when Marcos was playing with Robert Gardos he was leading 9-8 Marcos Freitas remained calm and he took a risk. He served long, Robert Gardos reacted and levelled at 9-all before the Portuguese star had his first match point at 10-9. It was saved and three more were saved by Gardos and one by Freitas before the contest ended. A tremendous duel was at an end, it was the match of the tournament to date; the heart bled for Robert Gardos, the tears welled for Portugal, tears of unbridled joy. Portugal currently share top place in their group alongside Hong Kong who recorded a three-nil win over North Korea with Li Ching, Tang Peng and Cheung Yuk overcoming the trio of Kim Hyok Bong, Ri Chol Guk and Kim Nam Chol by three matches to nil.

Tomorrow the three Portuguese players will have a very difficult duel since they will defeat Hong Kong’s at 4:30 am (GMT +3).

Photo: by courtesy of ITTF

 After a 15 days stage in Vittel (France), the Portuguese team departes today from Paris to Russia to participate in the World Team Championship, an event that will take place in the capital city of Moscow from 23 to 30 May. Portugal will play for the first time the Championship Division and they will meet next Sunday 23 rd May the powerful team of North Korea. Portugal’s team will align with Marcos Freitas (no. 90 World Ranking), Tiago Apolónia (no. 63 WR), João Monteiro (no. 43 WR) and Énio Mendes (no. 272 of WR), will be guided by the coach Ricardo Faria.

The last three games counting for the 1st Bundesliga League can be resumed with 1 victory and 2 defeats for TTC Indeland Jülich. Marcos Freitas team won FC Saarbrücken (3-1) and lost with Borussia Düsseldorf (1-3)  and SV Werder Bremen (1-3).

In the FC Saarbrücken game, Marcos Freitas won Andrej Gacina by 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5).

For the game between TTC Indeland Jülich and Borussia Düsseldorf, Marcos Freitas was the only player to score a point, in front of Trinko Keen by 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9).

In the last game, in front of SV Werder Bremen, Marcos Freitas played with Lars Hielscher but lost in a very difficult game by 0-3 (9-11, 10-12, 12-14).

Photo: Margret Nündel