by Ian Marshall, Editor
Furthermore, in all three recent tournaments, their junior players enjoyed success. Lin Yun-Ju won the Under 21 Men’s Singles title in Bulgaria, Huang Yu-Jie, Tsai Pei-Rung and Tsai Yun-En secured Cadet Girls’ Team silver in Myanmar, whilst in El Salvador they dominated proceedings; they won 13 of the 14 titles on offer.
In El Salvador Fang Sih-Han won the Junior Girls’ Singles title beating colleague Tsai Yu-Chin in the final, having on her one previous ITTF World Junior Circuit experience of the year suffered defeat in the Jordan final when facing Chen Ting-Ting, also from Chinese Taipei. On home soil Chen Ting-Ting is the no.3 seed, Tsai Yu-Chin occupies the no.8 seeded position, whilst Fang Sih-Han is way down the order; she is named in the no.25 spot. There may be some higher ranked player in for a surprise.
All three are contenders for honours on home soil but the player who leads the Chinese line in the Junior Girls’ Singles event is Su Pei-Ling. At the recent Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, she departed proceedings in the opening round, losing to Japan’s Miyuu Khihara; however, on the ITTF World Junior Circuit, she has enjoyed success; in Hong Kong, she reached the semi-finals.
A fine effort in Hong Kong, it is players from that national association who provide the leading names from the host association with the biggest challenge. Chau Wing Sze, a quarter-finalist on home soil and in China, is the no.2 seed; Wong Chin Yau, also through to the last eight in Hong Kong, as well as in Belgium is the no.4 seed. She is one place ahead of colleague, Lee Ka Yee who has yet this year to reach the latter rounds of an ITTF World Junior Girls’ Singles event.
It is very much the same for the host’s Wen Rue-Ling, the no.7 seed, she has yet to advance to the quarter-final round; however, for India’s much travelled Selena Selvakumar, the no.6 seed, the latter stages have been reached, she was a semi-finalist in Tunisia.
A total of 59 players will compete in the Junior Girls’ Singles event.
