by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

The only player to offer serious resistance was Korea’s Choi Haeeun, the player who three days earlier had emerged successful in the Road to Buenos Aires 2016 Youth Olympic Games-Asia qualification tournament.

She lined up alongside Japan’s Haruna Ojio and Singapore’s Jassy Tan Lin Jin. In the opening match of the quarter-final contest against China, she extended Qian Tianyi, the full five games distance only succumbing by the minimal two point margin in the decider (14-12, 9-11, 3-11, 11-2, 11-9).

Most certainly, it was a notable performance but it was one that her colleagues could not match. Haruna Ojio was beaten in four games by Huang Fanzhen (11-1, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11), Jassy Tan Li Jin suffered at the hands of Wang Tianyi (11-3, 11-6, 11-3).

A semi-final place booked, a three-nil win was recorded against the Indian trio of Selena Selvakumar, Archana Girish Kamath and Yashini Sivasankar, before in the final the same margin of victory was secured in opposition to the Japan ‘A’ trio comprising Nayu Satogawa, Natsuki Chiba and Miyabi Manabe.

Huang Fanzhen gave her team the ideal start by beating Nayu Satogawa (11-5, 11-7, 11-7), before Qian Tianyi defeated Natsuki Chiba (11-2, 11-6, 11-5) and Wang Tianyi ended matters by overcoming Miyabi Manabe (11-5, 18-16, 11-7).

In the opposite half of the draw, at the quarter-final stage Japan ‘A’ had recorded a three-two win in opposition to the Korea ‘D’ formation of Lee Daeun, Yun Arin and Lee Gayeon, before by the same margin overcoming the Chinese Taipei ‘A’ Team of Su Pei-Ling, Yu Hsiu-Ting and Chien Tung-Chuan.

On both occasions Nayu Satogawa emerged the star; in the concluding matches, against Korea ‘D’ she beat Yun Arin (11-6, 11-7, 11-7), in opposition to Chinese Taipei, she overcame Yu Hsiu-Ting (11-3, 15-13, 4-11, 12-10).

The Junior Girls’ Team event concluded; attention now turns towards the Junior Girls’ Singles and Junior Girls’ Doubles competitions.