by Ian Marshall, Editor

A storm, in the Hungarian capital city her opponents were hit by a veritable typhoon; has she ever played better? I suggest that she has never played faster! It was her speed that afforded colleagues Ding Ning and Chen Meng at the semi-final and final stages no time to react.

Moreover, surely she set a record by affording each opponent zero points in the fifth game!

Prior to the tournament starting was there not a question mark over Liu Shiwen? At the Liebherr 2018 World Team Championships and then later in the year on the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour in Stockholm, Japan’s Mima Ito had beaten Liu Shiwen.

Although Liu Shiwen did not play Mima Ito in Budapest, any thoughts that there might be a threat to Chinese hegemony from Japan’s female players was laid to rest. At the quarter-final stage Ding Ning beat Miu Hirano in five games (11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9), at the same stage in a similar fashion Liu Shiwen ended the ambitions of Miyo Kato (11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5). One round earlier in six games, Wang Manyu had overcome the defensive skills of Hitomi Sato (9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9).

However, the contest to attract the attention was the opening round engagement between Sun Yingsha, required to qualify, the lowest ranked member of the Chinese quintet on women’s singles duty in Budapest and Mima Ito. In Stockholm, in addition to ousting Liu Shiwen, Mima Ito had beaten both Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling; surely she had a good chance, a very good chance against Sun Yingsha?

Maybe; but Sun Yingsha guided by coach, Li Sun, had other ideas, Sun Yingsha won in five games (11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 13-15, 11-2).

Only one member of the Japanese team in Budapest, did not suffer at Chinese hands; that was Kasumi Ishikawa who in round four was beaten by Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem (11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9).

No places in the podium for Japan, different to two years earlier in Düsseldorf when Miu Hirano had won bronze; nevertheless, the evidence presented was that Japan remains the closest challenger to Chinese excellence. Frankly it shows how far China is ahead of the field.

In 2018 Japan had posed China questions, as in 2017 had Miu Hirano when in succession beating Ding Ning, Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng at the Seamaster Asian Championships in Wuxi. China found answers and responded in style.

Now the boot is on the other foot. All five Japanese players and all five Chinese players who played in Budapest are on duty at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open.

Can Japan respond and once again record wins against China’s elite? Furthermore, can Liu Shiwen find the rhythm, execute the speed and replicate the desire that took her to gold in Budapest?