by Ian Marshall, Editor

The no.30 seed; in the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the final hurdle, she beat the host association’s Tsai Yu-Chin, the no.8 seed (11-8, 12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6) to win her career first ITTF World Junior Circuit Girls’ Singles title and thus far exceeded her one and only prior appearance.

Just over three months ago in May, she had competed in Thailand, losing to China’s Yang Yiyun in the opening round (4-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5). Likewise, for Tsai Yu-Chin, it was her best of the year; at the beginning of the month in Hong Kong, she had reached the quarter-final stage.

Earlier on the concluding day of play, in the latter stages, as in the final, Byun Seoyoung had accounted for adversaries from Chinese Taipei. At the quarter-final stage she had beaten Huang Yu-Jie, the no.27 seed (6-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-1), prior to accounting for Chen Ting-Ting, the no.3 seed and the winner in late July in Jordan. She prevailed in seven games, the decider a titanic struggle (11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 16-14, 9-11, 19-17).

Hard fought wins for Byun Seoyoung, it was the same in the later stages for Tsai Yu-Chin. She overcame Japan’s 10 year old Miwa Harimoto, the no.22 seed (12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 4-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-4), prior to defeating colleague Su Pei-Ling, the top seed (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5) to reserve her place in the final.

Tense moments for Byun Seoyoung in the Junior Girls’ Singles competition; in the counterpart Cadet Girls’ Singles event, life was less fraught. The no.7 seed, in the round of the last eight, she beat Rachel Sung of the United States in three straight games (11-5, 11-7, 11-5), prior to ousting Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yun-En, the no.18 seed (11-8, 11-8, 11-4) to reserve her place in the final. In the title decider, she overcame Hong Kong’s Ng Wing Lam, the no.2 seed, to reserve the top step of the podium (12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5).

In the opposite half of the draw, in rather more hard fought contests, Ng Wing Nam had ended the hopes of the host association. She accounted for Cheng Pu-Syuan, the no.17 seed (11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6), prior to reserving her place in the final, courtesy of a full distance win in opposition to Chu Yi-Ching (11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8).

Success for the Korea Republic; there was also success for the hosts and for Singapore.

Flying the flag for Chinese Taipei, Chien Tung-Chien and Yu Hsui-Ting won the Junior Girls’ Doubles title receiving a final walk-over against Chen Ting-Ting and Su Pei-Ling; for Singapore, Ser Lin Qian and Zhou Jingyi struck Cadet Girls’ Doubles gold. In the title decider, they overcame the host association’s Cheng Pu-Syuan and Huang Yu-Jie (11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7).