First place in the group one day earlier when, against expectations, finishing ahead of Singapore’s Andy Wong Yan Kaoi, the no.11 seed, the host’s Pau Yik Man continued to upset the odds one day later, Saturday 5th August, in the Cadet Boys’ Singles event at the Hang Seng 2017 Hong Kong Junior and Cadet Open.
No current world ranking, making his first steps in international waters, the 14 year old reserved his place in the penultimate round.
Pau Yik Man, upset the odds to reach the last four (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Table Tennis Association Ltd)
by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
After recording wins against Thailand’s Nawin Mekamporn (11-5, 14-12, 11-7) and Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Kai-Jen (12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6); Pau Yik Man caused a major quarter-final upset by overcoming colleague, Maurice Chong Kai Ning, the top seed (11-8, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9).
A surprise semi-finalist and he was not alone; Nikhil Kumar of the United States, the no.5 seed, after beating Hong Kong’s Yiu Kwan To, accounted for Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen, the no.2 seed (11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6) to clinch a semi-final berth.
Defeats for the top two seeds but not for the next two names in the order of merit; Portugal’s Tiago Li, the no.3 seed and Hong Kong’s Lau Chun Kit, the no.4 seed Both duly reserved their places the last four.
Tiago Li accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Kai-Cheng (11-7, 11-3, 11-8) and Hong Kong’s Choy Chun Kit (5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-2) to book his place in the penultimate round. Meanwhile, Lau Chun Kit recorded a second round win over Singapore’s Andy Wong Yan Kai, before securing a quarter-final success in opposition to Michael Tran of the United States, the no.6 seed (11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8).
At the semi-final stage, Pau Yik Man meets Tiago Li; Lau Chun Kit opposes Nikhil Kumar.
One surprise Cadet Boys’ Singles semi-finalist; it is the same situation in the Cadet Boys’ Doubles competition. Singapore’s Baldwin Chan Ho Wah and Chan Yee Shun, the no.6 seeds, emerged as the surprise pairing to reach the round of the last four. At the quarter-final stage they ousted Nikhil Kumar and Michael Tran, the no.6 seeds (11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7).
In the penultimate round Baldwin Chan Ho Wah and Chan Yee Shun meet Hong Kong’s Maurice Chong Kai Ning and Yiu Kwan To; in the opposite half of the draw Lau Chun Kit and Wong Hon Lam, the no.2 seeds, confront Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen and Andy Wong Yan Kai, the no.4 seeds.
Proceedings in Hong Kong conclude on Sunday 6th August.
至於男子少年組十六強中亦有7位香港球手,其中蔡俊杰在「香港內訌」中以3:2擊敗黃翰林;而奪標大熱莊棨甯(Maurice)亦以3:2淘汰中華台北的彭旨。惟Maurice在八強面對隊友鮑奕文,卻以局數1:3落敗。鮑奕文晉級後將面對葡萄牙的李迪亞戈(LI Tiago)。下線的劉鎮杰則淘汰美國的陳米高(TRAN Michael Minh),四強迎戰美國的庫馬爾(KUMAR Nikhil)。
Shock exit for second seed, Chen Ting-Ting causes major upset
05 Aug 2017
Winner earlier in the year on home soil in Taicang; China’s Qian Tianyi suffered a shock quarter-final Junior Girls’ Singles exit at the Hang Seng 2017 Hong Kong Junior and Cadet Open on the evening of Saturday 5th August.
She was beaten by Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ting-Ting, a player who impressed with her high level of technical skills and supreme balance when a cadet; now in the splendid setting of the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, the 16 year old shone brightly in the higher age group.
Chen Ting-Ting, the player of the day (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Table Tennis Association Ltd)
by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
The no.12 seed, a first round win over Hong Kong’s Wong Chin Yau (11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7), Chen Ting-Ting embarked on her path of destruction.
In the second round of proceedings, she caused a surprise by overcoming Japan’s Kana Takeuchi, the no.6 seed (13-11, 11-7, 17-15, 11-6), before causing the biggest upset of the day when beating Qian Tianyi, the no.2 seed (11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5) at the quarter-final stage. One round earlier, Qian Tianyi had accounted for Japan’s Yumeno Soma (11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5).
Defeat for Qian Tianyi in the round of the last eight but not for her colleagues, Shi Xunyao, the top seed, nor for Liu Weishan, the no.5 seed.
Both beat players in form to book their last four places. Shi Xunyao accounted for Japan’s Satsuki Odo, the no.14 seed (11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 11-13) and second round winner in opposition to the host’s Su Pei-Ling, the no.7 seed (11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10, 12-10); Liu Weishan overcame Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut, the no.8 seed (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-2). Notably one round earlier, Jinnipa Sawettabut had beaten Japan’s Miyuu Kihara, the no.3 seed (9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9).
Disappointment for Japan but there was success. Miyu Nagasaki, the no.4 seed, after overcoming Hong Kong’s Leung Ka Wan (11-4, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7) reserved her place in the penultimate round courtesy of success against Chinese Taipei’s Yu Hsiu-Ting (11-4, 11-9, 13-11, 11-1).
At the semi-final stage Shi Xunyao meets Liu Weishan; Miyu Nagasaki opposes Chen Ting-Ting.
Surprises, not in the Junior Girls’ Doubles event where the top four seeded pairs all booked penultimate round places.
In the round of the last four pairs, Qian Tianyi and Shi Xinyao, the top seeds, meet Yomeno Soma and Kana Takeuchi, the no.3 seeds; Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki oppose Chen Ting-Ting and Su Pei-Ling.