by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Occupying the no.6 seeded position in the competition, she accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Lin Po-Hsuan in four games (8-11, 11-5, 1-5, 11-6).

“I knew she had a good service, it affected my concentration, I was afraid, nervous; that’s why I lost the first game, I made mistakes”, Minnie Soo Wai Yam.

A hesitant beginning but after winning the second game, the nerves calmed; the young lady who had won the Girls’ Singles title at the ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals in Indore in January moved from strength to strength.

“We are both aggressive players but as the match progressed I found a good rhythm to my play, for her it was the opposite, she lost her rhythm”, Minnie Soo Wai Yam.

Also, having enjoyed success on her Indian travels, gold in Indore, silver in New Dehi; there is an assured in the manner of Minnie Soo Wai Yam.

“Runner up last week; that has motivated me, it has confirmed my status, I know now that I can play at a good level, the same as the players who win”, Minnie Soo Wai Yam

Success for Minnie Soo Wai Yam but there was disappointment for Hong Kong; Mak Tze Wing, the no.10 seed, was beaten as status anticipated by Japan’s Saki Shibata, the no.4 seed (11-7, 11-2, 11-7).

An impressive performance from the fourth seed; it was the same from the no.3 seed; Korea’s Choi Hyojoo accounted for Mizuki Morizono, the no.9 seed and like Saki Shibata from Japan.

Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Singapore’s Zeng Jian, the respective top two seeds, were not required to compete in the opening round.