by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
Feng Tianwei, the top seed, beat England’s Kelly Sibley, the no.11 seed (11-5, 11-9, 11-3, 14-12), to become the first player to reserve her place in the round of the last four. It was a contest that was arguably closer than the straight games score line reflects. Most certainly the 29 year old, who hails from Leamington Spa in the centre of England, proved a most worthy adversary.
“Winning the second game was vital, I had confidence in my skills and I am pleased with the level of my play; perhaps in the fourth game I rushed a little, I could seed the winning post.” Feng Tianwei
Success for Feng Tianwei in the first quarter-final contest, later in the evening Yu Mengyu brought the day to an end in an equally impressive manner; the no.3 seed, she halted the aspirations of Mouma Das, the no.6 seed. Focused Yu Mengyu prevailed in five games (15-13, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5).
Two wins for Singapore but sandwiched in between it was defeat. Manika Batra, the no.4 seed, accounted for Zhou Yihan and thus repeated the success she had enjoyed early in the tournament when she had beaten the Singaporean to secure Women’s Team gold.
In the Women’s Team final, Manika Batra has prevailed in three straight games (11-7, 11-4, 11-7); in the Women’s Singles quarter-final life was more exacting, five games were needed (11-5, 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9).
“Today was best of seven games, the match in the team final was best of five games and I had the whole of my team on the bench supporting me; also, in the team final if I lost there was another player to follow; if I lost today I was out! Zhou Yihan was prepared and in the fourth game she played slowly so I had to adapt.” Manika Batra
Manika Batra now meets Feng Tianwei in the semi-finals; Yu Mengyu plays the winner of the one remaining quarter-final between Canada’s Zhang Mo, the no.2 seed and Australia’s Jian Fang Lay, the no.5 seed.
Also, Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu are also through to the semi-finals of the Women’s Doubles event where they meet India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee and Pooja Sahasrabudhe; in the opposite half of the draw Manika Batra and Mouma Das confront Malaysia Ying Ho and Laren Lyne.
Similar to the contest between Jian Fang Lay and Zhang Mo, the Women’s Doubles semi-final matches matches will be played on Friday 13th April.
