by Simon Daish
Seen competing on the international stage at two separate events in the month of May, Liu Shiwen won’t be seen at a third after her entry for the tournament in Shenzhen was withdrawn.
Women’s Singles champion in Thailand and quarter-finalist in Hong Kong but Liu Shiwen has been deemed unfit to play in China as she recovers from a lingering injury issue.
Chen Meng secured a top four finish at last year’s ITTF World Tour event in China, exiting to eventual champion Ding Ning at the semi-finals stage. Unfortunately she won’t have the opportunity to surpass that record this time out: she recently underwent surgery and is still to fully recover.
The two further withdrawals from the tournament see Zhou Yu and Li Jiayi pull out of the proceedings due to relevant Chinese Table Tennis Association regulations on international event participation.
