Titles secured but exacting times

by Ian Marshall, Editor

A full distance three matches to two verdict was the outcome in the Cadet Boys’ Team final, the player to cause the Chinese problems being Hiroto Shinozuka, the winner earlier in the year of the Cadet Boys’ Singles title on the ITTF World Junior Circuit in Taicang and the runner up on Hong Kong, when losing to Xiang Peng; in Nay Pyi Taw on duty in the Junior Boys’ Team event.

Hiroto Shinozuka beat Zeng Beixun in the opening match of the contest (11-6, 12-10, 13-11) prior to accounting for Kuang Li in the fourth (11-7, 11-8, 11-9). The wins came after, sandwiched in between, Kuang Li had overcome Kazuki Hamada (13-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8) and had partnered Zeng Beixun to doubles success against Kazuki Hamada and Haruki Harada (11-6, 11-9, 11-7).

Thus the scene was set; Zeng Beixun responded; he beat Kazuki Hamada in four games (15-13, 20-22, 11-6, 11-6) to secure the title.

“I am absolutely delighted. Thanks to my coach, team mates and supporters we were successful. I had a mixed day with a loss in the first singles but we won the doubles and I came through strong to win the last singles. Japan always manages to raise their game in big competitions and today was no exception. We had to battle for every point”, said Zeng Beixun

Equally there were testing times for colleagues, Chen Yi, Kuai Man and Li Yuqi in the Cadet Girls’ Team final against Korea Republic; a three-one verdict was the outcome.

In the second match of the engagement, after Kuai Man had beaten Kim Jimin (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7), Chen Yi experienced defeat at the hands of Byun Seoyoung (14-12, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5).

Matters level, Kuai Man and Li Yuqi prevailed in a full distance five games doubles contest against Byun Seoyoung and Kim Jimin (11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6) to turn the tide. Chen Yi, returning to form, overcame Kim Jimin in three straight games (11-7, 12-10, 11-8) to close the curtain.

Meanwhile, in the play-off fixtures for third place, it was mixed fortunes for Chinese Taipei. Fielding Li Hsin-Yang and Li Hsin-Yu in the singles with the latter partnering Wang Guan-Ru in the doubles; they recorded a three-nil win in opposition to Hong Kong, who selected Yiu Kwan To and Choy Chun Kit for the singles matches with Choy Chun Kit and Yu Nok being the doubles formation.

Conversely in the counterpart Cadet Girls’ Team competition for Huang Yu-Jie, Tsai Pei-Rung and Tsien Yun-En, the latter two being the doubles formation, it was a three-nil defeat at the hands of Japan’s Hikari Okubo and Haruna Ojio.

Play in the Cadet Boys’ Team and Cadet Girls’ Team events over; attention now turns to the Cadet Boys’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles events; play concludes on Saturday 18th August.