by Ian Marshall, Editor
After recording a semi-final success against colleague Liu Yebo (15-13, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9), Xu Yingbin withstood a spirited recovery by the defending champion, Xiang Peng the claim the junior boys’ singles title, a contest in which he had to save one match point in the deciding seventh game (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 16-14, 9-11, 5-11, 12-10), before raising his arms in victory.
Earlier in the day, at the semi-final stage Xiang Peng had ended the hopes of Japan’s Hiroto Shinozuka (5-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-8, 11-5).
Colleagues meet
An all Chinese junior boys’ singles final, one match earlier it had been an all Japanese junior girls’ singles gold medal contest. Miyu Nagasaki accounted for Kyoka Idesawa (7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8), an engagement in which the champion elect adjusted to the close to the table attacking style of most worthy opponent.
Notably the backhand attacking strokes exerted with minimal top spin had totally demoralised China’s Wu Yangchen at the semi-final stage (11-4, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4). In the counterpart penultimate round duel, Miyu Nagasaki had ended the progress of 15 year old colleague, Haruna Oji.
Doubles gold for Japan
Success for Miyu Nagasaki came after she had partnered Miyuu Kihara to junior girls’ doubles gold, accounting for Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin and Ryu Hanna in the final (11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8). The top step of the podium for Japan, in the junior boys’ doubles competition it was the top two steps; Yukiya Uda and Shunsuke Togami secured the title at the final expense of Kakeru Sone and Hiroto Shinozuka (6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4).
Three titles for Japan on the concluding day of play, it was the same number for China. Chen Yuanyu won the cadet boys’ singles event beating India’s Payas Jain in the final (13-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5), the success coming after Chen Yi had overcome Japan’s Kaho Akae (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8) to be crowned the cadet girls singles champion.
World Junior Championships places
Meanwhile, the third position in the junior boys’ team and junior girls’ team events for places in the 2019 World Junior Championships went respectively to Chinese Taipei and Japan.
Based on the best cnclusion by the highest ranked player from the losing team semi-finalists, for the boys Chinese Taipei’s Tai Ming-Wei finished in first place in his group, as opposed to Korea Republic’s Jung Seown who had to settle for second position.
Somewhat differently, in the junior girls’ singles event, Japan’s Miyuu Kihara and Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin, the leading names, both ended their journey in second position in their initial phase group. Thus the finish achieved by the second highest ranked from each team was considered. Haruna Ojio advanced to the semi-finals, Ryu Hanna ended matters in second place in her group.
Chinese Taipei joins China and India in the boys’ team event at the 2019 World Junior Championships; in the girls’ team competition, Japan lines up alongside China and DPR Korea.
The 2019 World Junior Championships will be staged in Korat, Thailand from Sunday 24th November to Sunday 1st December.
