China retain junior titles; Cadet crowns go to Korea, Japan

Mumbai, September 13, 2014: Table Tennis powerhouse China’s hegemony came to be questioned when they lost two of the four titles at the Reliance 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships, played here at the Sardar Patel Stadium today.

The gainers were, indeed, South Korea and Japan who took the Cadet Boys’ and Cadet Girls team trophies.

China just about managed to retain the Junior Boys title defeating South Korea 3-2 and the Junior Girls crown, beating Japan 3-1.  Earlier, South Korea, who had shocked China in the semifinals earlier, deservingly emerged the Cadet Boys champions.

South Korea, who were on course to annex the Junior Boys title, were 2-0 up but the Chinese fought their way back into the final winning the next three rubbers, thanks to Zhou Qihao, Liang Jingkun and Yu Ziyan who put up a brave front to thwart the rampaging South Koreans.

In the Junior Girls final, the Chinese began on a wrong note, losing the first match but came back well to beat Japan 3-1. Though Liu Gaoyang lost the opening rubber to Miyu Maeda 1-3, Chinese made amends by winning her reverse singles while Chen Xingtong and Wang Manyu, though both were stretched a bit, did not panic to give the Chinese 2-1 lead. Then Gaoyang beat Hitomi Sato in straight games to retain the trophy.   

In Cadet Boys, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0 to win the title. An Jaehyun, Kim Daewoo continuing their good form put their team 2-0 up even as Daewoo was taken to the full distance in the second singles. Then he, along with Minha Hwang, felled the Taipei pair of Yun-Ju and Li Hsin-Yang in straight games to wrap up the win.  In Cadet girls, Japan defeated China 3-2 after some struggle.

Rare upset

Earlier, a rare and the only upset of the championships happened when South Korea sent China packing in the Cadet Boys’ semifinals. The South Koreans beat the reigning champions 3-1. Except for the doubles in which Xu Yingbin and Peng Feilong combined well to beat the Korean pair of Kim Dawoo and Hwang Minha 3-2, the two Chinese lost their singles despite taking An Jaehyun and Hwang Minha the full distance.

Chinese Taipei’s Cadet Boys fought grimly in the other semifinal to ward off a Japanese threat. But the No. 2 Taipei team won 3-2 with the main difference being the gritty Chen Chun-Hsiang who won both his singles, including the decider against Japanese top player Takuto Izumo 3-2. The Japanese, after being down 0-2, levelled the score only to go down in the last game, losing by the minimal point.

Results:

Junior Boys: Final: China bt South Korea 3-2 (Yu Ziyang lost to Cho Seungmin 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 5-11, Liang Jingkun lost to Kim Minhyeok 7-11, 11-3, 6-11, 9-11, Zhou Qihao bt Lim Jonghoon 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, Liang Jingkun bt Cho Seungmin 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, Yu Ziyang bt Kim Minhyeok 11-6, 11-3, 11-8); Semifinals: China bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Yu Ziyang bt Ho Kwan Kit 11-7, 7-11, 13-11, 4-11, 11-5, Liang Jingkun bt Hung Ka Tak 11-6, 11-9, 11-8, Zhou Qihao bt Li Hon Ming 7-11 11-9, 11-8, 11-1), South Korea bt Chinese Taipei 3-2 (Kim Minhyeok lost Wang Tai-Wei 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, Cho Senugmin bt Liao Cheng-Ting 11-4, 12-14, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, Lim Jonghoon bt Sun China-Hung 12-10, 13-11, 11-6, Cho Senugmin lost to Wang Tai-Wei 8-11, 4-11, 11-6, 5-11, Kim Minhyeok bt Liao Cheng-Ting 11-9, 13-11, 11-8).

Position: India bt Bahrain 3-0 to finish 9th.

Junior Girls: Final: China bt Japan 3-1 (Liu Gaoyang lost to Miyu Maeda 4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, Chen Xingtong bt Hitomi Sato 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, Wang Manyu bt Sakura Mori 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, Liu Gaoyang bt Hitomi Sato 16-14, 11-7, 11-5); Semifinals: China bt South Korea 3-0 (Liu Gaoyang bt Lee Seul 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, Wang Manyu bt Lee Zion 11-7, 10-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, Chen Xingtong bt Lee Yjin 11-3, 11-7, 11-8), Japan bt Hong Kong 3-2 (Sakura Mori lost to Doo Hoi Kem 1-11, 10-12, 11-9, 5-11, Hitomi Sato bt Soo Wai Yam 16-14, 11-3, 11-5, Miyu Maeda bt Lam yee Lok 11-6, 11-8, 11-6, Hitomi Sato lost to Doo Hoi Kem 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 7-11, Sakura Mori bt Soo Wai Yam 11-9, 13-11, 11-8).

Position: India bt Chinese Taipei 3-1 to finish 7th.

Cadet Boys: Final: South Korea bt Chinese Taipei 3-0 (An Jaehyun bt Lin Yun-Ju 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, Kim Daewoo bt Chen Chun-Hsiang 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9); Semifinals: South Korea bt China 3-1 (Jaehuyn An bt Xu Yingbin 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-4, Minha Hwang bt Peng Feilong 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, Daewoo Kim/Minha Hwang lost to Xu/Peng 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, Jaehyun An bt Peng Feilong 10-12, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9), Chinese Taipei bt Japan 3-2 (Lin Yun-Ju lost to Takuto Izumo 11-13, 7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, Chen Chun-Hsiang bt Yuto Kizukuri 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4, Lin Yun/Li Hsin-Yang bt Takuto/Yukiya Uda 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 15-13, Lin Yun-Ju lost to Yuto Kizukuri 12-10, 8-11, 8-11, 8-11, Chen Chun bt Takuto Izumo 11-9, 11-13, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9).

Position: India bt Hong Kong 3-0 to finish 5th.

Cadet Girls: Final: Japan bt China 3-2 (Mima Ito bt Sun Yingsha 10-12, 11-9, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, Miu Hirano lost to Qian Tianyi 11-5, 3-11, 11-3, 7-11, 7-11, Hirano/Mima bt Qian/Mu Jingyu 11-7, 2-11, 11-2, 14-12, Miu Hinrano lost to Sun Yingsha 9-11, 9-11, 7-11, Mima Ito bt Qian Tianyi 12-10, 3-11, 12-10, 11-6); Semifinals: China bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Qian Tianyi bt Lee Ka yee 11-9, 11-1, 11-3, Sun Yingsha bt Ng Ka Man 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, Qian/Mu Jingyu bt Lee Ka /Leung Ka Wan 14-16, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2), Japan bt South Korea 3-0 (Mima Ito bt Kim Youjin 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, Miu Hirano bt Kim Jiho 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, Mima/Hina Hayata bt Youjin/Jiho 15-13, 11-7, 11-9).

Position: India lost to Chinese Taipei 0-3 and finished 6th. 

A TTFI Press release