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andro newsletter september 2008

Table tennis players, andro-customers, fans of the world's fastest game!

The Mega-Event Olympia has passed. No one can take the silver medal that andro-star Christian Süß has won with the German Team. Nevertheless it is history and the future has already begun: Starting into a new season the DTTL presents itself in a brand new dress. The new system isn't the only novelty. Much more thrilling is the end of gluing that not only forces active players but also all the Topstars to adapt to the change.
The andro-team reports which material they trust and the facts to consider.

We are facing the most exciting season ever. Let's take off together: NOW!

 
We wish you a lot of fun with our new newsletter!

Your andro team

Everybody going for the olympic hero Christian Süß
The medal is always in the baggage

„The medal is still in a box because everybody wants to take a look at it.” Christian Süß says. Few weeks after the Olympic Games the andro-Star is still situated in exceptional circumstances. On the one hand the win of the silver medal is the athelete's biggest success on the other hand the first olympic medal for his andro-team what brings along many changes. "I could not practice after my arrival back home because we had such a filled time schedule" Süß reported. The sponsors ARAG and Metro wanted to congratulate him themselves and presented their figurehead. Furthermore the 23 year old was pleased to enter his name into the Golden Book of two towns: His native town Ahlen and his permanent residence Düsseldorf, which invited him accompanied by Timo Boll and Dimitij Ovtcharov - the team that brought the biggest triumph for the last twelve years to the DTTB. "As soon as this euphoric atmosphere calms down the silver medal is going to be put into a glass cabinet" Süß mentions. He is not that type of guy showing off his trophies, "but an olympic medal is something very special" Süß says quite proudly. Christian has achieved something extraordinary and is constantly going his way. "Now i have to concentrate on the DTTL with the new system and the new rubbers." Right from the beginning he decided to follow the clean path - without the use of fresh glue or tuner. Both was still accepted on the first matchday but since the 1st September Christian Süß also made the experience that not everybody sticks to the rules. In addition to that and more important was the fact that he can totally count on the new andro ROXON 500pro. "To me there is no big difference between unallowed tuned rubbers and andro tensor bios rubbers." Again Süß stood on the winning side in the DTTL and already concentrates on his next big challenge: the European Championship in St. Petersburg where he is the titleholder with the German team and in the doubles.

Olympic Games
The fighter Jean-MI does not give up

Jean-Michael Saive will not keep the 20th august 2008 in good memories. It was the day when one of the biggest surprises in the men's single competition of the Olympic Games was brought to the spectators: Segun Toriola defeats the Belgian andro-star in six highly competitive sets. The Nigerian, who is ranked no.115 in the world, pushed himself over the limit: „I've never played as good as today and especially my forehand was very good“ said the happy winner.
Toriola made history by being the first African in the Olympic Games to join the field of the top 32 players.
On the other hand Jean-MI Saive honestly said that he was „very disappointed“.
Moreover he had to participate the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Budapest after having a dispute with the ITTF who did not provide him with a direct qualification.

This case was taken by ITTF-President Adham Sharara to consider a change of the system in public. The Canadian announced to stand up for the idea that the single competitions should be carried out before the team tournament in the future. „It is unfair for some better players whose teams have not qualified“ Sharara explained and especially mentioned the case of Jean-MI who lost his first match against Segun Toriola. Toriola had already played some matches with the Nigerian National Team.

The fact that Jean-Michael Saive enjoys high reputation in Beijing was obvious before. The ITTF awarded him, the Croatian Zoran Primorac and the Swede Jörgen Persson with a price that was specially created for this trio. The award for All-Time-Olympics. Since the implementation of table tennis into the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988 only Saive, Primorac and Persson qualified for all six consecutive Games.

The fighter Jean-MI did not negate the possibility of challenging a seventh attempt for the Olympic Games after the defeat against Toriola: „I am not sure. In november i am turning 39 but if i still play on this level in the next one or two years i will try to qualify for the Olympic Games again.“ The andro-star would be 42 years old at the Olympic Games 2012 in London and the award for All-Time Olympics should not be given to anyone but him then.

Olympia review
China's back-breaking dominance

Fans, active players and officials expected a festival from the Olympic Games and they received it: perfect conditions, amazing atmosphere, spectacular matches and unexpected media attention provided a very positive result for the olympic table tennis games. Nearly 400 spots were filled with reporters and photographers when the final rounds in the team tournament were carried out at the Beijing University. Tickets for spectators were sold out months ago: table tennis was the first sport to be sold out!

Adham Sharara, president of the ITTF, called "the number of tv-viewers in China a sensation for our sport". The Canadian reported that in the first week table tennis was no.1 in the viewing rate concerning four of seven days. "That's great for our sport and a big chance for the future." Nevertheless he was not happy with everything that happened in Beijing. "As the president it hurts to look at the results" Sharara confessed. "It was clear that the team events would be dominated by the Chinese, but China winning all the single medals is not good for our sport."

The dominance could not have been more back-breaking. Beside the win of both team competitions, China also won all gold medals as well in the men's as in the women's singles. China's athletes did not even loose one match on the way to their total triumph. All the games in the team competition ended up 3:0.

The medal table puts emphasis on the dominance of Asian athletes. Eleven of twelve medals were taken by Asian associations: The teams from South Korea that won the bronze medal in the male and female team competition and Singapore's women team illustrated their membership to the world class. Moreover China won eight of the twelve medals.

Germany's male team created an European gleam of hope. andro-star Christian Süß, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Timo Boll achieved the biggest success since the last twelve years by winning the silver medal. In Atlanta 1996 Jörg Roßkopf won an Olympic medal for the DTTB: bronze in the male singles.

The team tournament that was carried out for the first time at the Olympic Games turned out as a big success. Sharara called this event the "emotional climax" of the Olympic table tennis tournament and stood up for maintaining this competition. "An essential plus factor of this competition is that it guarantees matches between different nations while the single matches were isolated by Chinese players and did not evoke such emotional attendance." The president starts thinking about changes in order to increase tension for the next games.
"Very soon I am going to discuss some changes with the ITTF and the IOC", Sharara mentioned.
What is his consideration?
"A single tournament with maximum two players of every nation. This would avoid one country winning all the medals like it was shown in China. I want to keep up the team competition because it is the emotional climax. Furthermore I want back a double competition with 16 pairs restricted by one double per nation."

Time will show if Sharara's wishes will be fulfilled while many competitors of different nations want a maximum representation of their discipline. The Canadian is optmistic: "We will discuss that and then we will see. Basically table tennis has big chances for the future. We have to make use of it!"

Interview with Wu Jiaduo
„Wasn't that bad“

By participating the Olympic Games in her home country andro-star Wu Jiaduo fulfilled a big dream. But from the athletic point of view it was a disappointment to her: with the German National Team she dropped out after the defeats in the group. In the single competition she lost her first match against the Austrian Li Qianbing.
The andro-team asked Wu Jiaduo how she experienced and felt the days after Beijing.

andro: The Olympic Games did not work out that well for you. How did you get over the disappointing performance?
Wu Jiaduo: My parents have comforted me in a lovely way. I have been visiting them for a few days after the Games and they already have given me new motivation.

andro: How?
Wu Jiaduo: They said „No problem. Let's start all over again.“ I am the only child and that is why they spoil me a lot each time I come home. I have also eaten very good: fish, prawns and much green vegetables.

andro: How do you think about your performance in Beijing?
Wu Jiaduo: I can accept that we did not play well and my single performance actually was not that bad. I only played twice in the team tournament. I lost against Dodean from Romania where I did not play well. Against Polen I won my match and against Hongkong I did not play. In the single tournament I led 9-5 in the seventh set against Li Qianbing and lost. Alltogether I played three matches, won one and lost two. Of course I am disappointed but it was not that bad and I can accept it.

andro: What did you think about the atmosphere?
Wu Jiaduo: Very good. There were so many spectators. I wanted to get tickets for my parents but they were sold out.

andro: That means your parents did not watch any of the matches?
Wu Jiaduo: They watched me playing in the team tournament but not in the singles.

andro: Umm..., well you only played one match in the single tournament. So maybe it was not that pity.
Wu Jiaduo: No, it was not.

andro: Did you get acquainted to any other athletes in the Olympic Camp?
Wu Jiaduo: Dirk Nowitzki visited us and I have taken a photo of him and myself. Looks really funny. He is huge. I think my head barely reaches his thigh.

andro: Now you are exaggerating...
Wu Jiaduo: No really! I am just 1,65m and he is half a meter taller than me.

andro: Did you get to know any other persons?
Wu Jiaduo: I wanted to take a photo with another U.S. Basketballer... What was his name again...?

andro: Kobe Bryant?
Wu Jiaduo: Yes exactly! I wanted to take pictures with Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer but they were always surrounded by a mass.

andro: How do you want to go on?
Wu Jiaduo: Our season starts soon and I have to start thinking over which material is best for me. I have glued my backhand and my forehand with the pimples. I did not have the time to test new rubbers because of the Olympic Games. Nevertheless I'm very confident to find a good solution with the andro-team.

Material intro

• Weight reduction because of optimized veneer combination and extra fi ne veneer compounding, using dehydrated natural resins
  
• 7-ply, well-balanced veneer construction made of highly developed light carbon fi bres leads to best handling
  
• Fine ball feedback due to Kinetic technology in order to control the game while speed and ball feeling remain
  
• Extremely mistake forgiving sweet-spot, maximized by perfect co-ordination between carbon and wooden fibres.
  
  

	Kinetic CF Light ALL+ High-quality Ayous veneers lead this ALL+ version of the Kinetic CF-Light serie blade to an extremely sensible touch. Allround players with a tendency for offensive strategies will appreciate the top feeling, enabling them to arrange dynamic accents and moreover find the necessary control during passive game. Those players will especially be supported by the Kinetic CF Light ALL+ in critical playing situations as it is tolerating mistakes remarkably. Weight: 83 grams incl. pre-varnish. S 86 C 98 R 95                             10227801-03 straight/flair/anatomic Weight: 83 gramms € 59,00
	Kinetic CF Light OFF- The basic veneer, 3mm Kiri wood , makes it possible to build up a blade with low total weight as well as very good control even at a reduced practising time. The second and sixth layer are made of modern UD-carbon fibres - the key to come up with enough pressure and to edge the opponent towards defence. In passive situations, upcoming vibrations are absorbed by Kinetic technology; as a result, players conceive the most possible ball-feedback. An offensive blade with extra control. Weight: 83 grams incl. pre-varnish S 90 C 97 R95 10227701-03 straight/flair/anatomic Weight: 83 gramms € 59,00
	Kinetic CF Light OFF Compared with the more control-orientated Kinetic CF Light versions, the total thickness of the blade has been slightly increased by using a thicker basic veneer. Black fineline outer veneers are power-orientated and support aggressive players to exactly place their strong topspins. Minimized weight because of carbon fibres lead to faster arm strokes, enabling players to achieve success by practising fast topspins. Impressive speedrotation even when hitting the ball outside the blade centre. Weight: 88 grams incl. pre-varnish S 94 C 94 R 98 10227601-03 straight/flair/anatomic Weight: 85 gramms € 59,00
	Kinetic CF Light OFF+ More shooting power for the strict offensive player. The speedglue ban is the reason why more and more players are using blades with increased speed. Grip-integrated, vibration reducing Kinetic technology provides the player with necessary ball control. A strong Kiri centre veneer, combined with UD-Carbon enlarges performance and speed, yet guarantee most control possible in regard to this blade of the fastest category. Fineline- outer veneers increase dynamic and help players with slow movements to powerful acting. Weight: 85 grams incl. pre-varnish S 98   C 90   R 98                              10227501-03 straight/flair/anatomic Weight: 85 gramms € 59,00

andro workshop – background information for everyone 

Gluing ban is now fact and in this context andro company arranged a „workshop“. The initial one was held in Halle/Saale where Schöler&Micke Shop 3T/Burgemeister is situated. With the target of explaining the new ITTF rules in detail, members from S&M staff also effected a rubber 'blind test' with active players and officials.
It was not a surprise that andro ROXON rubbers with integrated Tensor BIOS technology got the best benchmarks. Finally every participant thanked andro team having initiated the workshop. The 'andro workshop background information for everyone' became a big success because of its effective know-how transfer.

Preview ERKE German Open 2008 Berlin – andro as ball supplier

This year for the first time the German Open are held in the capital city. From 19th to 23rd November all top athletes will serve and fight for the desirable title at Berlin's Velodrom.
The ERKE German Open will be one of the highlighted events in 2008 again – comparable to a Grand Slam tournament in tennis – that is endowed with 150.000$. Many top stars among 300 athletes from 40 countries are expected. As the official ball supplier of the DTTB, andro will provide this event by more than 1.000 balls. As usual, the players can trust in the top quality of andro's Speedballs.
For futher information about the ERKE German Open 2008, please visit the following webpage www.tischtennis.de.