Unstoppable China claims yet another Women’s Team gold medal
It’s all over in the Women’s Team final, with China claiming the gold medal once again after completing a 3-0 win over hosts Japan. Wang Manyu delivers a comprehensive victory against Miu Hirano (11-5, 11-9, 11-3) to put the result beyond any doubt. China maintains its incredible unbeaten run in the category, collecting gold for the fourth time.
“The first match was very important, and it was important for us to win to settle the nerves. The Japanese put up a very good fight, and it was something that we expected from them. After winning the opening match, we were very relieved and felt more confident. My teammates believed in me and gave me lots of encouragement. I’m very grateful for their support,” said Wang Manyu.
“We prepared ourselves well for the final, and we played really well. This gold medal goes out to everyone who has supported me, the team, coaches, fans and everyone who has played a big role in my development, especially my family. This is also our gift to China,” said Sun Yingsha.
“This is a different feeling as it’s a team effort, and the three of us all played our part in winning the gold medal. There are also many unsung heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes to get us to the podium tonight so, we also want to say thank you to all of them. We will continue to work hard. We are still in our prime and are in good form. We will take a short break for now and plan our schedule after that,” said Chen Meng.
Japan faces an uphill battle as Sun prevails over Ito (2-0)
Sun Yingsha has moved China to within a win from the title in Tokyo after earning another victory over Japan’s Mima Ito. The two players met in the Women’s Singles semi-finals, with Sun prevailing 4-0 on that occasion, and she made another quick start against the Japanese number one by claiming the opening two games. Ito gave a good account of herself in game three, but her momentum was short-lived as Sun closed out the match with a powerful display in game four (11-8, 11-5, 3-11, 11-3).
Chen and Wang negotiate stern doubles test (1-0)
The Women’s Team final has opened in explosive style with China’s Chen Meng and Wang Manyu pushed to the limit by Japanese counterparts Kasumi Ishikawa and Miu Hirano. Japan enjoyed a dream start, taking the opening game by a two-point margin and there were nervous moments for the Chinese pair throughout the match, but Chen and Wang withstood the pressure to claim a 3-1 win (9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7). China leads Japan 1-0.
Hong Kong, China takes bronze
An emotional team from Hong Kong, China broke down into tears of joy as Minnie Soo Wai Yam overpowered Shan Xiaona 3-0 in fourth and final singles match to win the bronze medal for Hong Kong, China. The fourth-seed women’s team from Hong Kong, China battled against all odds to pull off an upset over Germany, who are seeded third. It was a tight affair in the first two games between Soo and Shan with Soo prevailing 12-10, 13-11. It was all over for Germany in the third match as Soo would eventually outplay Shan 11-9 to spark moving scenes of elation for Hong Kong, China.
“It’s totally unbelievable and the best day of my life. I’m really happy to have done my part in clinching the winning point for us. We have been improving in every match and we were confident despite going down in the first match,” said Soo.
“The expectations were high and after we levelled the match, we battled back strongly and that was the only thing on our minds. There is a great bond between the three of us and we worked very well as a team,” said Doo.
“We are looking forward to completing our quarantine when we get back and then reuniting with our families!” said Lee.
“Winning the first match was important but we know it was not going to be easy too. We just couldn’t win the next few matches. We are very truly disappointed. Three were several close matches but in the end, we were not brave enough to win those matches. The girls from HK were so strong today and they deserve this medal,” said Solja.
“Of course, we are sad. But we can be proud of ourselves too as not many teams can get into the semi-final,” added Han and Shan.
Hong Kong, China pulls ahead (2-1)
Doo Hoi Kem exacted a measure of revenge on Petrissa Solja as she dispatched the top ranked German without dropping a game in 23 minutes. Following her opening doubles loss to Solja, Doo came out with all guns blazing, winning the first game 11-5 in six minutes. Doo continued her dominance and prevented any chance of a comeback from the German by taking the next two games 11-6 and 11-9.
Soo upsets Han to take Hong Kong, China level (1-1)
Hong Kong, China’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam prevented Germany from pulling further ahead as she beat Han Ying 3-1 in the second singles match. Soo took the first game 12-10 before Han, who is ranked 10 spots above Soo in the latest ITTF Senior Women’s Singles, brought Germany level by winning the second game 11-9. Soo showed her speed and tenacity against her higher-ranked rival by taking the next two games 11-9 and 11-7 to set up another exciting contest between Doo and Solja in the next match.
Germany takes early lead (0-1)
Shan Xiaona and Petrissa Solja seized the early initiative for Germany as they dispatched Lee Ho Ching and Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong, China in the opening doubles match 3-1. The Hongkongers took the early control when they won the first game 11-8. But that joy lasted only seven minutes as Shan and Solja swung the advantage back to Germany, winning the second game 11-5 before closing out the first match with victories in the next two games 11-7 and 15-13.
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