Killerspin’s Chen Qi duly booked his place in the third round of the Men’s Singles event at the German Open in Bremen by recording two very impressive performances in the opening two rounds on Friday 19th March 2010.

It is Chen Qi’s first appearance on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2010 and he showed the form that won him back to back titles in 2007; in that year he was crowned Men’s Singles champion at the Russian Open and then immediately followed the victory, by securing top spot on the medal podium at the Austrian Open.

In Berlin, in his opening contest against Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia, the young man who had beaten three times Men’s Singles World Champion Wang Liqin, in the first round of proceedings at the English Open in October 2009, Chen Qi could not find a rhythm in the early stages of the contest.

After four games it was parity but then he found a rhythm.

He was in total tune and he hit the high notes; poor Apolonia did not know which way to turn as suddenly Chen Qi played at a whole new level; a level that mortals can only stand and admire.

Chen Qi, oozing talent, dominated the fifth and sixth games; a place in round two was reserved.

The first match is often the hardest, adjusting to the conditions but with that duel out of the way, Chen Qi had adjusted.

A second round encounter saw him face the dangerous Dmitrij Prokopcov of the Czech Republic, who one round earlier had upset the world rankings by beating Sweden’s Jens Lundqvist.

Against Chen Qi he was outclassed; the Killerspin star never game his adversary time top draw breath; he was safely through to the third round.

He beat Dmitrij Prokopcov in five games.