DaveR
03-22-2008, 04:11 PM
Erke Qatar Open
Quarter-Final Exit for World Champion
China’s Guo Yue, the reigning World champion, departed proceedings in the Women’s Singles event at the Erke Qatar Open in Doha on Friday 21st March 2008 at the quarter-final stage.
Seeded two, she was beaten by the number seven seed, Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun; the Hong Kong player is renowned for her strong backhand, in Doha she underlined her claim to possessing the strongest backhand in global female table tennis.
The defeat of Guo Yue was one of several surprises on the fourth day of play in the splendid surroundings of the Qatar Sports Club.
Also in the Women’s Singles event, Li Xiaoxia, the defending champion and number two seed was beaten in the third round by her sixteen year old Chinese compatriot, sixteenth seed, Liu Shiwen; whose progress was then halted in the round of the last eight by fifth seed, Guo Yan, also from China.
Meanwhile, Korea’s Seok Ha Jung, a player whose name does not appear on the ITTF Women’s World Rankings, defeated twelfth seed, Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei before Wang Nan, former Olympic and World champion, halted further adventures at the quarter-final stage.
At the semi-final stage Guo Yan meets Jiang Huajun whilst Wang Nan faces Chinese national team colleague, Zhang Yining. In the round of the last eight, Zhang Yining, the reigning Olympic defeated Korea’s Kwak Bang Bang.
Surprises in the Women’s Singles event and it was the same in the Men’s Doubles with Romania’s Adrian Crisan and China’s Zhang Jike being the players to cause the upsets.
Seeded twenty-two, Adrian Crisan beat Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the number five seed in round two to inflict the first defeat of the year on the three times European champion.
Vladimir Samsonov had won the Men’s Singles title in Slovenia and in Kuwait, the first two ITTF Pro Tour tournaments of the year.
However, the progress of Adrian Crisan was short-lived; in the quarter-finals he lost to the number two seed and defending champion, China’s Ma Lin.
A shock exit for Vladimir Samsonov and also for the number four seed, Ma Long. He lost in seven games to doubles partner and colleague, the un-seeded Zhang Jike.
Otherwise matters went according to plan with Wang Hao, having experienced a gruelling third round encounter against Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece, recording a straight games quarter-final victory over Singapore’s Gao Ning, whilst at same stage Wang Liqin won the all Chinese duel against Chen Qi.
In the semi-finals Wang Hao meets Zhang Jike whilst Wang Liqin confronts Ma Lin.
Success for China in the singles events and they are well represented in the doubles finals where in the women’s event Guo Yue and Zhang Yining face the Koreans, Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young whilst in the counterpart male competition Chen Qi and Wang Liqin play Ma Long and Zhang Jike.
The finals are therefore dominated by Asian players with China to the fore but there was success for Europe on the fourth day of play. Russia’s Kirill Skackov and Romania’s Daniela Dodean won the respective Under 21 Men’s and Under 21 Women’s Singles titles; Kirill Skachkov overcame Korea’s Lee Jin Kwon to secure gold whilst Daniela Dodean defeated Singapore’s Yu Meng Yu at the same stage.
Table Tennis News UK
Quarter-Final Exit for World Champion
China’s Guo Yue, the reigning World champion, departed proceedings in the Women’s Singles event at the Erke Qatar Open in Doha on Friday 21st March 2008 at the quarter-final stage.
Seeded two, she was beaten by the number seven seed, Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun; the Hong Kong player is renowned for her strong backhand, in Doha she underlined her claim to possessing the strongest backhand in global female table tennis.
The defeat of Guo Yue was one of several surprises on the fourth day of play in the splendid surroundings of the Qatar Sports Club.
Also in the Women’s Singles event, Li Xiaoxia, the defending champion and number two seed was beaten in the third round by her sixteen year old Chinese compatriot, sixteenth seed, Liu Shiwen; whose progress was then halted in the round of the last eight by fifth seed, Guo Yan, also from China.
Meanwhile, Korea’s Seok Ha Jung, a player whose name does not appear on the ITTF Women’s World Rankings, defeated twelfth seed, Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei before Wang Nan, former Olympic and World champion, halted further adventures at the quarter-final stage.
At the semi-final stage Guo Yan meets Jiang Huajun whilst Wang Nan faces Chinese national team colleague, Zhang Yining. In the round of the last eight, Zhang Yining, the reigning Olympic defeated Korea’s Kwak Bang Bang.
Surprises in the Women’s Singles event and it was the same in the Men’s Doubles with Romania’s Adrian Crisan and China’s Zhang Jike being the players to cause the upsets.
Seeded twenty-two, Adrian Crisan beat Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the number five seed in round two to inflict the first defeat of the year on the three times European champion.
Vladimir Samsonov had won the Men’s Singles title in Slovenia and in Kuwait, the first two ITTF Pro Tour tournaments of the year.
However, the progress of Adrian Crisan was short-lived; in the quarter-finals he lost to the number two seed and defending champion, China’s Ma Lin.
A shock exit for Vladimir Samsonov and also for the number four seed, Ma Long. He lost in seven games to doubles partner and colleague, the un-seeded Zhang Jike.
Otherwise matters went according to plan with Wang Hao, having experienced a gruelling third round encounter against Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece, recording a straight games quarter-final victory over Singapore’s Gao Ning, whilst at same stage Wang Liqin won the all Chinese duel against Chen Qi.
In the semi-finals Wang Hao meets Zhang Jike whilst Wang Liqin confronts Ma Lin.
Success for China in the singles events and they are well represented in the doubles finals where in the women’s event Guo Yue and Zhang Yining face the Koreans, Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young whilst in the counterpart male competition Chen Qi and Wang Liqin play Ma Long and Zhang Jike.
The finals are therefore dominated by Asian players with China to the fore but there was success for Europe on the fourth day of play. Russia’s Kirill Skackov and Romania’s Daniela Dodean won the respective Under 21 Men’s and Under 21 Women’s Singles titles; Kirill Skachkov overcame Korea’s Lee Jin Kwon to secure gold whilst Daniela Dodean defeated Singapore’s Yu Meng Yu at the same stage.
Table Tennis News UK