Hong Kong sets standard, as home based players enjoy successful first day

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The Hong Kong trio finished ahead of the Chinese Taipei trio formed by Su Pei-Ling, Lee En-Chi and Chien Yung-Chien with the combination of India’s Selena Selvakumar, who partnered the host association’s Han Yun-Shan and Yu Hsiu-Ting in third place.

Similarly Impressive

Impressive, it was the same from Fang Sih-Han, Kuo Chia-Yun and Lee Yu-Peng. They finished in first place ahead of colleagues Jhou Sin-Yi, Liang Yu-Chieh and Huang Xuan-Chun representing Chinese Taipei ‘D’.

India with Archana Girish, Kamath Priyanka Pareek and Harsha Vardhini Calange Ravichandran on duty ended matters in third place ahead of the Singaporean combination of Eunice Lim, Tan En Hui and Tay Hui Li.

Second Seeds Stumble

First place as anticipated for Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei ‘B’; not for the second seeded combination formed by Japan’s Kana Takeuchi and Yuto Kato, who joined forces with the host association’s Chen Ting-Ting.

They recorded a three-nil win in opposition to the outfit which comprising Chinese Taipei’s Hung Hung who allied with Thailand’s Naja Mekamporn and Natkamen Kamkorn, before suffering a three-one defeat when confronting the Chinese Taipei ‘A’ Team trio of Wu Yi-Hua, Chen Ying-Chen and Wen Ruei-Ling.

Wu Yi-Hua

Principal cause of the defeat was Wu Yi-Hua; she beat both Kana Takeuchi (7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-4) and Yuko Kato (16-14, 11-7, 5-11, 3-11, 11-6). The one further win for the eventual victors was recorded Chen Ying-Chen; in the second match of the fixture, she accounted for Yuko Kato (16-14, 11-7, 5-11, 3-11, 11-6).

The one win for the defeated was recorded by Chen Ting-Ting; in the third match of the contest, she overcame Wen Ruei-Ling (11-9, 11-5, 11-2).

Passage to Main Draw

Wu Yi-Hua, Chen Ying-Chen and Wen Ruei-Ling duly accounted for the outfit comprising Hung Hung, Naja Mekamporn and Natkamen Kamkorn by three matches to nil to secure first place in the group.

Second place was the lot of Kana Takeuchi, Yuto Kato and Chen Ting-Ting; thus a place in the main draw was reserved. Teams finishing in first and second places in each of the three groups advanced the second stage.

Four from Six

Success for the host association in the first phase of the Junior Girls’ Team competition; it was very much the same in the Cadet Girls’ Team event; they provided four of the six main draw qualifiers.

Chinese Taipei ‘A’ with Tsai Yu-Chin and Huang Yu-Jie on duty, alongside the Chinese Taipei ‘B’ duo of Cai Fong-En and Jhou Ting-Yu finished in first places in their respective groups; Chinese Taipei ‘C’ represented by Hung Ke-Shan, Chen Ci-Kuan secured second position as did Chinese Taipei ‘D’ duo formed by Hsu Chiao-Hsin and Yen Chia-Hsuan.

Main Draw Places

The other two outfits to progress, in an event organised on the same principles as the Junior Girls’ Team event, were Hong Kong’s Wong Chin-Yau and Lee Ka Yee, the top seeds, plus the combination formed by India’s Swastika Ghosh and Germany’s Franziska Shreiner who finished in runners up spot behind Tsai Yu-Chin and Huang Yu-Jie.

Play in both the Junior Girls’ Team and the Cadet Girls’ Team events conclude on Thursday 25^th August.