by Ian Marshall, Editor
Success for Tai Ming-Wei meant he collected his third career ITTF World Junior Circuit boys’ singles title and avenged a defeat of earlier in the year.
In 2018 he won in El Salvador, earlier this year on home soil in Taipei City; however in May in Australia he had to settle for runners up spot. At the final hurdle he was beaten by colleague Huang Yu-Jen. In Muscat Tai Ming-Wei reversed that decision; after in the later rounds beating India’s Preyesh Suresh Raj (7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9) and Iran’s Mohammad Mousavi Taher (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5), he accounted for Huang Yu-Jen to secure the title (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8).
A splendid performance by Tai Ming-Wei; notably Huang Yu-Jen was a player in form; at the semi-final stage he had ousted Iran’s Amin Ahmadian, the top seed (5-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5).
Colleagues meet
Similarly in the junior girls’ singles event it was an all Chinese Taipei final; like Tai Ming-Wei, the no.2 seed, Cai Fong-En accounted for Hsu Yi-Chen (11-6, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4) to reserve the top step of the podium, having ended the hopes of Kavya Sree Baskar in the quarter-finals (12-10, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6) and colleague Chen Pu-Syuan (14-12, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9) one round later.
Notably in the adjacent half of the draw, in the penultimate round, Hsu Yi-Chen had beaten India’s Swastika Ghosh, the top seed (11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7).
Notable performances
Imposing performances, it was the same from Chen Yen-Ting and Chen Pu-Syuan in the cadet events, both overcoming Russian opponents in the final. Chen Yen-Ting won the boys’ singles title beating Sergey Ryzhov (13-11, 11-5, 11-7); in the cadet girls’ singles title decider Cheng Pu-Syuan overcame Sofia Kniazeva (13-11, 11-3, 11-4).
Chinese Taipei in control, it was no different in the hopes category; Hsu Hsien-Chia beat Qatar’s Rawad Al-Naser to win the boys’ singles title (11-9, 11-7, 11-13, 11-3), Yeh Yi-Tan accounted for colleague Liu Zi-Fei in the closest final of the day (11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10) to emerge the girls’ singles champion.
Play concluded in Muscat, attention on the ITTF World Junior Circuit now turns to Nitra; the Slovak Junior and Cadet Open commences on Wednesday 30th October.
