Defending champion LOGINOVA out in the first round!

 
The competition started on Saturday morning, 24 September, with the compound quarterfinals. They were followed by a mixed team match between the best pair of the season and a team representing the host country. In this match, the local double Ali DAVARCI and Gizem KOCAMAN (TUR)fought hard but finally bowed against the favouritesRodger WILLET JR. and Christie COLIN (USA).   The Kucuksu Palace is hosting the competition just across the river from the Rumeli Castle, near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. There is no second chance as the athletes start in quarterfinal knockout matches. The compound quarterfinals and compound mixed team matches opened the event on Saturday morning, 24 September. These matches will be followed by the individual semifinals and medal matches in the afternoon. The recurve division will be contested on Sunday.   The compound athletes shoot matches of 15 arrows with cumulative scores all the way to the gold medal match. In the case of a tie, a single arrow is shot to break the tie, the closest to the centre being the winner.   Compound archers also compete for the Longines Prize for Precision awarded to the two most precise archers (one male and one female) of the World Cup season: each of them will receive a trophy, a watch and a cash prize of 5,000 Swiss francs.   Compound Men – Quarterfinals   For the first time in history, all previous World Cup Final winners are present in the World Cup Final this year: Reo WILDE (USA), 2006, Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA), 2007, Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN), 2008, and Sergio PAGNI (ITA), 2009 and 2010. In total, five compound men have returned to the Final after Scotland: Martin DAMSBO (DEN), Rodger WILLET Jr. (USA), PAGNI, TRILLUS and JIMENEZ. Paul TITSCHER (GER) is a newcomer to the World Cup Final, while the Turkish wild card archer Ali DAVARCI (TUR) won two medals at the Youth World Championships in Legnica in August.   Paul TITSCHER (GER/7) v Reo WILDE (USA/2) WILDE was individual world champion in 2009 and has won several team world titles. Ranked No. 2 in the world, the American has won several World Cup stages and the first ever Final in 2006 in Mexico. He was individual world champion in 2009 and team champion in 2007, 2009, and 2011. He has been competing for 16 years, including six in recurve. TITSCHER is a newcomer and a true underdog. He is 19th in the world ranking. The two archers have met twice before for one victory each: the German won in Santo Domingo 2008 and the American in Antalya in June this year.   Surprisingly, WILDE started the match with a 7, low on the left of the target but he then corrected to clinch two 10s. The American trailed by one point after three arrows, as his opponent from Germany scored 28 points. TITSCHER's advantage remained unchanged after the two archers scored 28 each in the second end (56-55).   However, with an 8 and a 7 in the third end, and then another 8 in the fourth, the German let the lead go. Keeping all arrows in the yellow, WILDE turned the situation back to his advantage at 83-80. He finished with six 10s in the final two ends to increase his lead to 113-108 and then 143-136.   Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN/3) v Sergio PAGNI (ITA/6) PAGNI has won four World Cup stages and two Finals in his career. The Italian is the only athlete able to repeat as a World Cup Final winner (2009, 2010). Will he win his third Final in a row!? TRILLUS was 2007 world champion and became team bronze medallist this year in Italy. He finished 2nd in Shanghai, 3rd in Antalya and 5th in Ogden in this season's World Cup. The two archers have met three times since 2008 with an advantage to the Italian 2-1. However, TRILLUS's victory over PAGNI was at a World Cup Final, in Lausanne 2008, where the Canadian clinched the title. They both make their third appearance in a row in a Grand Final!   TRILLUS took the lead first at 29-28 thanks to 10-10-9 in the first end, against 9-9-10 for PAGNI. In the second end, the two archers scored two 29 points each and the lead remained with the Canadian at 58-57.   Although hitting the 8-ring with his second arrow in the third end, the defending champion PAGNI remained in the race thanks to two 10s and 28 points. TRILLUS also scored 28 (9-10-9) and maintained a 1-point lead at 86-85.   PAGNI made his move in the following end to release three perfect shots and it paid off, as he recovered and took the lead, 115-114. The final end was fantastic! TRILLUS put pressure on his opponent with 10-10-10. Starting with two 10s, PAGNI needed a final 10 to win the match… and he did it! The Italian is still in the race to defend his title!   Martin DAMSBO (DEN/5) v Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA/4) DAMSBO has won one World Cup stage so far (Antalya 2010). He was the world championship bronze medallist in Leipzig 2007 and became team silver medallist in Turin. The Dane lost a very close shoot-off against PAGNI in the quarterfinals in Edinburgh last year. JIMENEZ won two stages (Ulsan, Dover) and the Final (Dubai) in 2007 and the team bronze medal at the Ulsan 2009 World Championships. The competitor from El Salvador won the three previous face-to-face encounters with the Dane.                   The two archers lost in the quarterfinals last year, therefore one of them will do better this year. The best start went to DAMBSO with 10-10-8 and a 1-point lead at 28-27 but JIMENEZ managed to tie the match at 56-56 thanks to a close to perfect second series (10-9-10).   The third end and the match turned to the advantage of the competitor from El Salvador who scored a perfect 30-point end (85-84) and he repeated in the fourth end to increase his lead at 115-112. Although put under pressure in the final end after three 10s by DAMSBO, JIMENEZ managed to keep a 1-point advantage at the end to win the match and go to the semifinals (143-142).   Rodger WILLET Jr. (USA/1) v Ali DAVARCI (TUR/wild card) WILLET is the No. 1 shooter in the world. He was bronze medallist at the Edinburgh World Cup Final and team world champion in 2007. WILLET won the first three World Cup stages this season. His run ended in Shanghai against his teammate Reo WILDE. As he did not qualify this year for the world championships, he kept focussed on the World Cup only, with success! His contender of the day is a young, promising archer. DAVARCI brought home two medals (bronze individual and team silver) from the World Archery Youth Championships last month in Poland.   The final quarterfinal between the No. 1 and the young local archer gave reasons for the audience to cheer up. After a tied score in the first end (both archers scored 9-8-9), DAVARCI scored an amazing X10-X10-X10 (!) series to surprise WILLET and take a 2-point lead (56-54).   In the third end, it was the American's turn to shoot 30 points to recover and tie at 84-84. WILLET then took the lead for the first time of the match at 113-112. However, DAVARCI drove the best archer of the season into a corner, as the Turk finished with 10-10-10. After 10-10 also, WILLET needed a 10 to win. Experience spoke and the American clinched a final 10 to go on in this World Cup Final (143-142). Congratulations to both archers for the show!   Compound Women – Quarterfinals   Albina LOGINOVA (RUS) is the World Cup Final defender, while her arch-rival Erika ANSCHUTZ (USA) finished 3rd in Edinburgh. All the others are competing in their first World Cup Final.   Seyedeh-Vida HALIMIANAVVAL (IRI/7) v Laura LONGO (ITA/2) The two ladies met three times in this World Cup season. LONGO beat HALIMIANAVVAL at Stage 1 Porec and Stage 3 Ogden, while the Iranian won against the Italian in Stage 2 Antalya. LONGO is No. 4 in the world. She finished 3rd at three World Cup stages this year (Porec, Ogden, and Shanghai) and 5th in Antalya. HALIMIANAVVAL won the World University Championships 2010 in China and was team silver medallist at the 2011 World Championships in Italy back in July this year.   The best start went to the Iranian competitor with all three arrows in the yellow (10-9 ring) for 29 points. Her opponent from Italy shot her first two arrows a little bit on the left (9-8) but released a 10 to trail by two points (27).   In the second end, the two archers opened with a 9. LONGO followed with 8-9, while HALIMIANAVVAL scored 10-9 to increase her advantage at 56-53. The two young ladies then had a 28-point end, and the gap remained (84-81).   The fourth end turned to the advantage of LONGO, who scored a strong 29 points. The Italian came back to one point (110-111) after her contender from Iran scored only 27 in this end and the Italian tied the match in the final end, thanks to another 29-point end. HALIMIANAVVAL scored 10-9-9 and the match was tied at 139-139.   In the shoot-off, HALIMIANAVVAL released first and her arrow reached the yellow, touching the X10-ring. LONGO then shot an arrow almost exactly the same spot on the target, but finally the Italian's was a bit further from the centre. Victory for Iran!   Mahtab PARSAMEHR (IRI/3) v Christie COLIN (USA/6) PARSAMEHR won the World Cup stage in Antalya. She is ranked 3rd in the world and was team silver medallist at the Turin 2011 World Championships together with her teammate HALIMIANAVVAL, also among the Istanbul finalists. COLIN is the reigning team world champion and has won several team and mixed team World Cup stages.   The Iranian appeared quite tense at the beginning of the match. With an 8 and a 7 in the first end, she trailed by three points (25-28). While her contender from the USA had another 28-point end, PARSAMEHR missed the target face with her second arrow in this end and lost all hopes for recovery, trailing by 14 points (42-56).   PARSAMEHR scored three 10s, but also two 7s and an 8, in the third and four ends. COLIN continued with strong shooting and shot 29 points twice to secure a comfortable lead at 114-94. And the "yellow" shots went on up to the end for the American. With only 10s and 9s in the match, COLIN left a lasting impression this morning!   Albina LOGINOVA (RUS/5) v Marcella TONIOLI (ITA/4) LOGINOVA is the reigning individual world champion and No. 2 in the world. She was also individual and team world champion in 2009 and world individual silver medallist in 2007. Last but not least, the Russian is the World Cup Final defending champion from Edinburgh. TONIOLI won the World Cup stage in Ogden and the mixed team world championships event this year. The Italian is 5th in the world ranking.   Slow start for the two athletes. The world champion LOGINOVA started with two 27-point ends. Her opponent from Italy, TONIOLI, scored 26 and 27, and she trailed by one point (53-54).   In the third end, the Russian doubled her advantage at 83-81 after shooting a strong 9-10-10 series. But LOGINOVA had two 8s at the correct height but on the left and she lost it all. TONIOLI even took the lead for the first time of the match (110-109), thanks to 29 points before the final end.   The World Cup defender LOGINOVA tied the match with a 10 (versus a 9 for TONIOLI) in the first arrow of the last end and the tie remained with one arrow to go, as they then scored 9 each. Shooting first, the Russian reached the 9-ring, leaving the door open to her opponent. With a final 10, TONIOLI did not miss the chance to shoot in the semifinals (138-137)! The defending champion was out!   Erika ANSCHUTZ (USA/1) v Gizem KOCAMAN (TUR/wild card) ANSCHUTZ was 3rd in Scotland last year. This year she finished 1st in Porec and 2nd in Shanghai and Ogden. The American is the No. 1 shooter in the world. She won team gold and individual bronze at the 2011 world championships back in July. Her opponent of the day, KOCAMAN, is truly new on the international scene and ranked 8th at the European Grand Prix on her home soil (Antalya) this year. ANSCHUTZ won their only face-to-face so far at the Antalya 2011 World Cup Stage 2.   KOCAMAN started the match with two 10s and an 8. Her opponent from USA had the exact same score in the first end for a tie at 28-28. Cheered up by the local fans, the Turk had a perfect second end to take a surprising 1-point lead (58-57).   As ANSCHUTZ continued with 10s and 9s in the following two ends, KOCAMAN scored two 8s to let the lead go at 84-86 and then 111-114. Experience had spoken and it was too much for the young Turk who finished with three 8s in the final end. ANSCHUTZ clinched 9-10-10 to win this quarterfinal 143-135.     Longines Prize for Precision The Longines Prize for Precision for archery was launched in 2010. The two most precise archers of the World Cup season win the trophy, a watch and a cash prize of 5,000 Swiss francs. The recurve division compete for the Prize in even years, while compounds shoot for it in odd years (2011). The athletes who shoot the most 10s in all World Cup individual qualifications and matches as of the 1/16 eliminations win this prestigious prize.   On the male side, WILLET dominated the ranking since the first stage. However, WILDE came back very close thanks to a magnificent victory in Shanghai. WILLET had shot 398 tens before the Istanbul started, while WILDE trailed by five, totalling 393. Both winning their quarterfinal on Saturday morning, the situation has even come closer at 407-403. WILDE shot 10 tens in quarterfinal this morning, while WILLET clinched nine in his match.   On the women’s side, there was a close race between four athletes entering this Final. While the Russian LOGINOVA and the Italian LONGO are out after losing their quarterfinal matches, ANSCHUTZ is the best placed with 284 tens shot so far. COLIN might still make it (262), but she should count on a big "faux pas" by her teammate.   Compound Mixed Team   The best mixed teams of the World Cup season are also present in Istanbul to shoot against the host country, Turkey. In the compound event, team USA composed of Rodger WILLET JR. and Christie COLIN faced Ali DAVARCI and Gizem KOCAMAN.   Rodger WILLET JR./Erika ANSCHUTZ (USA/1) v Ali DAVARCI/Gizem KOCAMAN (TUR/wild card) The two teams remained close in the first two ends of the match. There was a tie at 37-37 after four arrows, and then the local team took a 2-point lead at 75-73 after WILLET shot an 8 to close the second end.   However, the situation changed completely in the third end, as DAVARCI opened with an 8 that was followed by a 6 by his teammate KOCAMAN. The Turks trailed by four points (107-111) at that time of the match.   In spite of a 7 by COLIN to start the final end, the US double proved more consistent. WILLET and COLIN finally won this match 147-143.   Archery World Cup Final Facts   Ø       32 individual athletes coming from 15 countries—same number of countries represented at the 2010 World Cup Final in Edinburgh. Ø       10 of the athletes have been world champions Ø       11 athletes already participated in a World Cup Final and 6 already won it (3 were winners in Edinburgh) Ø       Athletes will all play for a share of prize-money and awards totalising more than 150,000 CHF   The recurve athletes will take the field on Sunday, 25 September. The matches will be shot in the best-of-five sets format. Each set consists of three arrows and is worth two points; each archer gets one point in case of a tied set. The first archer with six set points wins the match. In case of a tied match at 5-5 in set points, a one-arrow shoot-off is shot. The winner is the archer whose arrow is closest to centre.   Stay tuned on www.worldarchery.org for our complete coverage of the Archery World Cup Final 2011 in Istanbul!   Ludivine MAITRE WICKI / Didier MIEVILLE World Archery Communication