Muramatsu vs. Samsonov turned out to be a must-watch. Spectacular defense, some really amazing saves. Never seen the pendulum swing so completely one way, and then the other way, and then swing again. Muramatsu uses short pips and has a stinging backhand attack. Not afraid to use it, either. This was a round-of-16 match, so hardly anyone in the audience. No commentator, either, so it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop a lot of the time (unlike the finals games). Samsonov was there without a coach, so he sat by himself between games and during times-out. He might've had a cold, he was using a Vicks inhaler. Certainly didn't look like it on the court, though, he was in great form. Had a laugh at one of the ads on the back barrier - it said "Talkass". I keep wondering about whether such ads might cause distraction, since they've got white areas in them.
Here's a look at Muramatsu's bat (around 19:08):
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muramatsu_racket.jpg [ 58.48 KiB | Viewed 1619 times ]
Pretty chewed up. Surprisingly, a flared handle (don't choppers always use straight handles?).
Iskandar