by Ian Marshall, Editor
Earlier on the concluding day of play she had partnered colleague Qian Tianyi to Junior Girls’ Doubles success having previously, with Zhang Binyue completing the selection, secured the Junior Girls’ Team top prize.
Success in the Junior Girls’ Singles final meant she collected her fourth ITTF World Junior Circuit Girls’ Singles title of the year; previously she had won in the Czech Republic, Poland and on home soil in China. In fact she has suffered just one defeat all year; that being in France when beaten at the semi-final stage by Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz.
In Hong Kong, the no.2 seed, she repeated her Polish success by overcoming colleague and top seed, Qian Tianyi in the final (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7), having in the penultimate round accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling, the no.3 seed (11-5, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5). In the opposite half of the draw, Qian Tianyi, who had also been the runner up in Thailand but had won in Italy, accounted for Japan’s Haruna Ojio (8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4).
“I’m happy that I won this match. Last year I was the runner-up. I’m very pleased to win this year. I made a lot of preparation. My next big tournament will be the 2018 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships; I hope there to get good results too.” Shi Xunyao
Notably for Haruna Ojio, only 13 years old, it was her third Junior Girls’ Singles semi-final of the year; she had reached the same stage in Sweden and China.
Imposing form from Shi Xunyao in the Junior Girls’ Singles event, it was the same in the Junior Girls’ Doubles competition.
A semi-final success was recorded against Hong Kong’s Fung Wai Chu and Wong Chin Yau, the no.4 seeds (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4), before the title was clinched at the final expense of the combination formed by Singapore’s Jassy Tan Li Lin and Chinese Taipei’s Wen Ruei-Ling, the no.7 seeds (11-3, 6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9). In the opposite half of the draw, in the penultimate round, Jassy Tan Li Lin and Wen Ruei-Ling had beaten the partnership comprising India’s Swastika Ghosh and Zhou Jingyi, also from Singapore (11-3, 6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9).
Play concluded in Hong Kong, attention now turns to Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar for the 2018 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, which start on Monday 13th August; also to Central America for the El Salvador Junior and Cadet Open scheduled to begin on Wednesday 15th August.
