THIAGO MONTEIRO CONTINUES HIS GOOD FORM AT VOLKSWAGEN OPEN KOREA
Por CBTM
One day short of his twenty-sixth birthday, Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro was the most impressive player on duty in the qualification stage of the Men’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open Korea in Seongnam on Thursday 14th June 2007.
The Brazilian emerged in first place in his group, winning both contests without the loss of a single game.
He overcame England’s Darius Knight 11-9, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4 before defeating Russia’s Grigori Vlassov in eaqually impressive style. He won 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8.
Origins
Thiago Monteiro is the one leading Brazilian who is not descended from Japanese stock; the majority hail from São Paulo, in terms of population the world’s third largest city and with a large Japanese population as a result of immigration in the first half of the twentieth century.
Monteiro is from Fortaleza in the north of the country, virtually on the Equator and first city that aeroplanes cross on their way from Europe to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.
Finest Hour
The Brazilian undoubtedly enjoyed his finest hour when in 2004 in Hangzhou, China he beat Korea’s Ryu Seung Min in the Men’s World Cup.
It was a moment to savour; the two victories in Seongnam did not compare with the epic success over the man who is the number two seed in the Men’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open Korea but they underlined the fact that Monteiro in a rich vein of form.
Average Performance
At the Latin American Championships in Guaruhlos in March 2007 his performance had been acceptable, nothing special. He played an important role in Brazil winning the Men’s Team event but in the Men’s Singles bowed out against colleague Gustavo Tsuboi.
Injury had meant that his training schedule had been interrupted but from the Latin American Championships onwards life has been better.
Thrilled
At the Liebherr Brazilian Open in Belo Horizonte, he thrilled the local crowd with a nail-biting victory over the superb Japanese defender Koji Matsushita and reached the quarter-finals of a Men’s Singles event for the second time in his career.
The one previous time was in 2004 at the Chile Open in Santiago.
Pan-Am Boost
The good form of Thiago Monteiro is certainly a boost for Brazil, a main goal for the South American country in 2007 is to succeed in the table tennis events in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in July With Thiago Monteiro in such good form, hopes of gold are high and it is a competition in which Monteiro has a good record.
In 2003 when the event was staged in Santo Domingo he was a silver medallist in the Men’s Singles event and in the Men’s Doubles he won gold. In 2007 he is on track for more medals in the prestigious quadrennial mult-sport event.
Ian Marshall - ITTF
