Impregnable Chinese book their quarterfinals slots

Hyderabad, December 10, 2012: When you have a classy quartet in your ranks, the coach’s job is half done. The other half becomes a formality when the Group of Four happens to be from China.  This is what most teams in fray here at the Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, dread about the awesome Chinese, much to their chagrin.

Though seeded No. 3 here, the Chinese boys remain the team to beat as they mowed down their opponents in the two matches they played today to enter the quarterfinals. First, they beat Belgium 3-0 and followed it up with another 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei.  Their girls, having been given the top slot as holders of the title, downed Croatia and then Russia, both with a 3-0 margin, to stamp their authority yet again and took their appointed place.  

Japanese boys and girls have kept their quarterfinal date with destiny and continued their rampaging way while South Korean boys were not far behind the two Asian powerhouses. The Korean girls, however, lost to Hong Kong in their second match after blanking out India 3-0. Hong Kong took the top spot in Group G, beating India 3-2 in a tight match. Nevertheless, today’s group matches only reaffirmed the podium places for all the Big Three teams, with Hong Kong lurking around.

Indian Girls lose plot

The Indian girls’ team damaged its quarterfinal chances in the morning by going down to No. 3 South Korea 0-3, did well against No. 6 Hong Kong but only marginally. Manika Batra’s heroics apart, there was nothing to write home about as T. Reeth Rishya, our last hope, went down in both her singles paving the way for Hong Kong and Korea’s passage into the quarters from the group. Now the Indians, seeded No. 13 here, will play for positions between 9 and 12.

As for the Indian boys, they had no problems in putting it across Australia 3-0 but failed to sustain the tempo against Italy and went down 1-3.  Except for Abhishek Yadav, who won against Alessandro Baciocchi 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6), the rest failed pushing India on the back foot. Left-hander Leonardo Mutti, who played brilliantly, took both his singles against Sudhanshu Grover and Abhishek Yadav. India will now play for positions 15-16.

Results: (Stage 2):

Junior Boys: Group E: Japan bt Hungary 3-0 (Masaki Yoshida bt Adam Szudi 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7, Asuka Sakai bt Tamas Lakatos 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, Yuto Muramatsu bt Nandor Ecseki 11-7, 11-7, 11-6), Japan bt Poland 3-1 (Asuka Sakai lost to Jakub Dyjas 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 3-11, Yuto Muramatsu bt Konard Kulpa 11-6, 13-11, 11-9, Masaki Yoshida bt Michal Bankosz 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, Yuto Muramatsu bt Jakub Dyjas 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6).

Group F: France bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Simon Gauzy bt Ka Tak Hung 12-10, 11-7, 11-7, Enzo Angels bt Chung Hei Chiu 6-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-5, Tristan Flore bt Siu Hang Lam 11-4, 11-2, 11-6), France bt Brazil 3-0 (Simon Gauzy bt Hugu Calderano 18-16, 11-7, 11-5, Tristan Flore bt Eric Jouti 11-9, 11-6, 11-5, Antonie Hachard bt Vitor Ishiy 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9).

Group G: China bt Belgium 3-0 (Shenpeng Fan bt Robin Devos 11-9, 12-10, 11-0, Gaoyuan Lin bt Florent Lambiet 11-8, 11-1, 14-12, Chenhao Xu bt Martin Allegro 13-11, 11-7, 11-8), China bt Chinese Taipei 3-0 (Zhendong Fan bt Chia-Sheng Lee 11-4, 13-11, 9-11, 11-3, Gaoyuan Lin bt Tzu-Hsiang Hung 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, Chenhao Xu bt Cheng-Ting Liao 12-10, 11-7, 11-8).

Group H: South Korea bt Czech Republic 3-0 (Deokhwa Choi bt David Retispies 11-4, 11-8, 11-9, Woojin Jang bt Ondrej Bajger 11-3, 11-8, 11-8, Minhyeok Kim bt Jakub Seibert 8-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-5), South Korea bt Germany 3-1 (Woojin Jang lost to Benedikt Duda 5-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-6, 7-11, Deokhwa Choi bt Frederik Jost 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, Minhyeok Kim bt Marc Rode 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-3, Deokha Choi bt Benedikt Duda 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4).

Junior Girls:

Group E: China bt Croatia 3-0 (Yuling Zhu bt Lea Rakovac 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, Yuting Gu bt Mateja Jeger 11-4, 11-4, 11-5, Ruochen Gu bt Ivana Tubikanec 11-7, 11-9, 11-2), China bt Russia 3-0 (Yuting Gu bt Elizaveta Khlyzova 11-3, 11-3, 11-6, Ruochen Gu bt Daria Chernova 11-3, 11-4, 11-3, Gaoyang Liu bt Ekaterina Guseva 11-3, 11-3, 11-3).

Group F: Japan bt Chinese Taipei 3-0 (Ayuka Tanioka bt Ya-Ting Hsu 5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, Miyu Maeda bt Yu-Wen Huang 6-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, Mima Ito bt Ssu-Hua Chiu 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 6-11, 11-8), Japan bt Germany 3-0 (Ayka Tanioka bt Petrissa Solja 13-11, 11-8, 11-9, Mima Ito bt Theresa Kraft 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, Miyu Kato bt Nina Mittleham 9-11, 11-1, 12-10, 11-6).

Group G: South Korea bt India 3-0 (Dasom Lee bt T. Reeth Rishya 10-12, 11-1, 13-11, 11-8, Yumi Jung bt Manika Batra 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 2-11, 11-8, Zion Lee bt Suthirtha Mukherjee 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4),  Hong Kong bt South Korea 3-1 (Hoi Kem Doo lost to Yumi Jung 13-11, 8-11, 8-11, 3-11, Ching Wan Li bt Dasom Lee 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, Wai Yam Minne Soo bt Byoinim Kim 12-10, 11-6, 11-9, Hoi Kem Doo bt Dasom Lee 11-7, 11-9, 11-9), Hong Kong bt India 3-2 (Hoi Kem Doo bt T.Reeth Rishya 11-5, 11-3, 11-4, Ching Wan Li lost to Manika Batra 4-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, Wai Yam Minne Soo bt Suthirtha Mukherjee 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, Hoi Kem Doo lost to Manika Batra 11-7, 11-5, 13-15, 6-11, 9-11, Ching Wan Li bt T. Reeth Rishya 11-7, 11-7, 11-6).

Group H: Romania bt Netherlands 3-2 (Bernadette Szocs bt Kim Vermass 11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, Irina Ciobanu lost to Britt Eerland 9-11, 4-11, 8-11, Bernadett Balint bt Alice Barendregt 11-6, 13-11, 11-7, Bernadette Szocs lost to Britt Eerland 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 6-11, 10-12, Irina Ciobanu bt Kim Vermass 11-8, 11-4, 11-4), USA bt Romania 3-1 (Lily Zhang bt Irina Cibanu 11-5, 11-5, 11-3, Crystal Wang lost to Bernadette Szocs 2-11, 7-11, 5-11, Prachi Jha bt Roxana Istrate 13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, Lily Zhang bt Bernadette Szocs 4-11, 11-9, 12-10, 12-10).

Positions 13-20:

Junior Boys:: India bt Australia 3-0 (Sudhanshu Grover bt Heming Hu 9-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, Abhishek Yadav bt Dillon Cathcart 11-3, 11-6, 11-5, Utkarsh Gupta bt Ivan Sulfaro 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 12-10), Italy bt USA 3-1 (Leonardo Mutti bt Kunal Chodri 11-6, 11-2, 11-9, Alessandro Baciocchi lost to Grant Li 5-11, 11-9, 14-16, 8-11, Maurizio Massarelli bt Kanak Jha 8-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-9, 13-11, Leonardo Mutti bt Grant Li 14-12, 11-7, 11-3), Egypt bt Chile 3-1 (Shady Magdy lost to Gustavo Gomez 10-12, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, Omar Bedair bt Sebastian Roman 4-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5, Bassel Alaa bt Alfonso Olave 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, Omar Bedair bt Gustavo Gomez 11-8, 11-7, 11-1),  Argentina bt New Zealand 3-0 (Juan Daher bt Roger Rao 11-5, 11-6, 11-4, Pablo Saragovi bt Kevin Wu 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, Nicolas Galvano bt Daniel Lowe 13-11, 11-9, 11-5), Italy bt India 3-1 (Alessandro Baciocchi lost to Abhishek Yadav 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, Leonardo Mutti bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-7, 11-2, 11-6, Damiano Seretti bt Utkarsh Gupta 11-13, 11-4, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4, Leonardo Mutti bt Abhishek Yadav 11-6, 14-12, 11-8).

Junior Girls: Egypt bt Australia 3-0 (Yousra Helmy bt Anna Du 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8, Dina Meshref bt Kayla Coombs 11-3, 11-7, 11-5, Alia Doaa bt Vy Bui 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5), Belarus bt Venezuela 3-0 (Alina Arlouskaya bt Gremlis 11-5, 11-4, 11-3, Katsiaryana Baravok bt Winberly Montero 10-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6, Maryia Kuchuk bt Josmary Lucena 11-9, 11-8, 11-6), France bt Wales 3-0 (Laura Pfefer bt Megan Phillips 11-7, 11-3, 15-13, Sara Berge bt Charlotte Carey 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, Marie Migot bt Angharad Phillips 11-4, 11-9, 11-5), Brazil bt Puerto Rico 3-1 (Karina Hayama bt Carelyn Cordero 13-11, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, Caroline Kumahara bt Daniely Rios 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 15-13, Bruna Alexandre lost to Melanie Diaz 11-7, 14-16, 4-11, 11-5, 3-11, Caroline Kumahara bt Carely Cordero 8-11, 11-13, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9).

TTFI Press release