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			Spanish Conquistador Ends Belgian March in Rabat
By: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Carlos Machado victorious against Jean-Michel Saive Photo By: Khalid Ouartassi 7/9/2009 Morocco Open Hassan II Spain’s 29 year old Carlos Machado was the player to cause the biggest upset in the Men’s Singles event at the Morocco Open Hassan II in Rabat on Thursday 9th July 2009; in six games he ousted arguably the most experienced player in the tournament. He ended the hopes of Belgium’s second seeded Jean-Michel Saive, a player 10 years his elder. Machado won in six games recording victory by the margin of 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7. First Time It is the first time that the Spaniard has reached the semi-final stage of a Men’s Singles event on the ITTF Pro Tour; the previous best being the third round in 2006 in Korea and Brazil. The defeat of Saive was the major surprise but it was not the only result in the Men’s Singles event to attract attention. Egyptian in Form Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali overcame Spain’s sixth seeded, Alfredo Carneros in round two before losing in the quarter-finals to top seed, Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus. The Egyptian who had come through the qualification stages successfully, won in six games. Seeds Succeed Otherwise matters went according to the pecking order of the world rankings. One round earlier, Samsonov had beaten Russia’s Mikhail Paykov and in the semi-finals meets another Russian, Maxim Shmyryev. Seeded no.3, Shmyryev overcame compatriot Evguenij Petrukhin and France’s Loïc Bobillier to book his penultimate round place. Lower Half of Draw Meanwhile, in the lower half of the draw, Carlos Machado faces Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin at the penultimate stage. El-Sayed Lashin accounted for Bulgaria’s Stanislav Golovanov in round two and Belgium’s Benjamin Rogiers in the quarter-finals.