Anthony Maeck

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Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Steady Progress is the Order of the Day for Belgium’s Anthony Maeck
Photo By: Charlie Lee



Croatian Open, Zagreb

Anthony Maeck made a successful start to his Men's Singles campaign in Zagreb
1/16/2007
Belgium’s Anthony Maeck is making progress; in 2006 on the ITTF Pro Tour his results simply got better and better. At the Croatian Open in Zagreb he is maintaining that progress; in his opening match in the qualification group stage of the Men’s Singles event on Tuesday 16th January 2006, he beat the host nation’s Jakov Krivic and he won in style.

Anthony Maeck prevailed in straight games 11-4, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6.

The result is not going to hit the headlines of the world’s press and perhaps it was not too unexpected but the result typifies Anthony Maeck.

No Headlines
Progress has not been meteoric; he hasn’t beaten the World champion. The results he is gaining are not going to bring comments from admirers that he is the next best thing to sliced bread. However, that is good.

How many players gain massive plaudits from the media, coaches and so called experts that they are going to be superstars; simply all they have to do is turn up, wave their bats like magic wands and success after success will ensue. That only happens in the movies, it doesn’t happen in reality.

Works Hard
Fortunately, Anthony Maeck is not in that situation.

He works hard for his success and gradually he believes more and more in himself and perhaps that belief comes from defeat. At the TMS Chinese Taipei Open in 2006 he lost to Chiang Peng-Lung but he lost in seven games and if you can win one game, you know you can compete at that level. Anthony Maeck won three.

Fighting
The young Belgian works hard for his success but isn’t that why Jean-Michel Saive, the country’s hero, does so well. “I’ll be there fighting like a pig as usual” is a phrase I’ve heard from Jean-Mi time and again. I’m not sure it’s the right analogy; I’ve never seen a pig fight but I know what he means and that is Anthony Maeck.

Players who work hard, players who are motivated when the junior years are over often make progress; isn’t that what happened with Werner Schlager and Peter Karlsson?

The former became World champion, the latter European champion.

Encouraging
Anthony Maeck is part of a government sponsored programme in Belgium and for him that programme is paying dividends. Furthermore, the first few weeks of 2007 have proved encouraging for Belgium.

Benjamin Rogiers and Jean Lauric gained silver medals at the ITTF World Junior Circuit event in Tunis last week. Again it’s not headlines grabbing news but it is steady progress and Jean Lauric is still a cadet.

It has been a good start to the year for Belgium and in Zagreb, a good start to the Croatian Open for Anthony Maeck.

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http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?ID=10948&Category=&General_Catigory=General&