2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Singapore Strike Gold After 58 Years

On Wednesday night, Singapore tasted sweet success in the Men's Doubles Event. Gao Ning and Yang Zi thrash South Korea's Jung Yung Sik and Kim Ming Seok 4-2 to claim Gold in Macau.

Against Jung and Kim, Gao and Yang drew first blood with a hard-fought 16-14 victory in the first game. The Singapore duo, who were the 2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals Champion, claimed the next two games 11-5 and 13-11 for a commanding lead. The South Koreans mounted a late charge to claim the fourth and fifth games 11-8, 11-4, but an 11-9 victory in the sixth game saw Gao and Yang home.

Singapore last won a gold medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships was 58 years ago.

Meanwhile, Li Jiawei and Sun Beibei are still in the running. They will face Japan's Ai Fukuhara and Sayaka Hirano in the Quarter Finals of the Women's Doubles Event tomorrow.

2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Good Fight Put Up by Gao and Li

At the Finals of the Mixed Doubles Event, China's Xu Xin, a left handed player and Guo Yan, a right handed player overcame two right handers, Singapore’s Gao Ning and Li Jiawei to win the titles.

Gao Ning and Li Jiawei, the number three seeds, made the better start. In the opening game, they established a 6-3 lead but Xu Xin and Guo Yan levelled it at 9-all before securing thefirst set at 13-15.

Once again in the second game, Gao and Li made the better start. They established an early lead, maintained it and won 11-7.

They third game saw Xu Xin and Guo Yan making a fierce comeback. They held the match point at 1-10. Gao Ning and Jiawei saved two match points but to no avail. Gao and Li lost the third set 3-11.

The Chinese duo never looked back, winning the fourth and fifth set 8-11, 8-11.

Meanwhile, Gao Ning and Yang Zi are also in the Semi Finals of the Men's Doubles Event which they will face Hong Kong's Leung Chu Yan and Cheung Yuk tomorrow. Odds are on our Men's side and we wish Gao Ning and Yang Zi All The Best!

2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Tears Rolled Down the Eyes of Yu

Yu Mengyu was forced to withdraw from the Women's Singles competition after sustaining an injury when playing against defensive player, North Korea's Ri Myong Sun. Yu trailed by three games to one before calling it quits.

For Yu's colleagues, there were success. Fourth Seed, Feng Tianwei beat Chinese Taipei's Liu Hsing-Yin 4-1. Li Jiawei defeated South Korea's Cho Ha La 4-0 and Sun Beibei won Shagarova Yelena 4-1.

Meanwhile for the male counterparts, Gao Ning and Yang Zi won Kuwait's Al-Hasan Ibrahem and Al-Hasan Salem 3-0. Gao Ning also became the Republic's sole representative that went pass the second round of the Men's Singles Event. He beat India's top male paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal by the narrowest margin of 4-3.

Other Results:
Men's Singles First Round
Chew Zheyu Clarence 4-0 Aji Donny (INA) (11-4, 11-6, 11-9, 11-2)
Yang Zi 4-1 Ghosh Soumyajit (IND) (11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8)
Pang Xuejie 4-2 Saleh Mohamed (BRN) (14-12, 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 4-11, 11-4)

Men's Singles Second Round
Chew Zheyu Clarence 1-4 Niwa Koki (JPN) (4-11, 1-11, 11-9, 4-11, 3-11)
Yang Zi 3-4 Wu Chih-Chi (TPE) (11-6, 10-12, 13-11, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 10-12)
Gao Ning 4-3 Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND) (8-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6)
Pang Xuejie 4-2 Kishikawa Seiya (JPN) (6-11, 9-11, 7-11, 7-11)

2012 ITTF Swedish Premium Junior & Cadet Open - Zhou Yihan Secures Second Consecutive Junior Singles Title

Zhou Yihan recorded her second consecutive success, winning the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the Swedish Junior and Cadet Open in Örebro. One week earlier, she won in Czech Republic.

Zhou started her journey to the final by beating Prachi Jha of the United States 11-8, 11-5, 12-10, 11-1, before overcoming Thailand’s Tamolwan Khetkuen 11-1, 11-2, 11-9, 13-11 to book her place in the quarter-finals. Her good form continued as she overcame Katsiaryna Baravok of Belarus 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3. In the Semi Finals, Zhou defeated Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Yee, the no.5 seed, in a similar six games duel 11-8, 11-9, 11-4, 5-11, 3-11, 11-9.

In the finals, Zhou Yihan faced doubles partner Lin Ye. Having trained together for more than a year in Singapore, they knew each other's game very well. It was Zhou who prevailed, winning 11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4.

Silver in the Girls' Junior Singles Event, it was Gold in the Junior Girls' Doubles Event for Lin Ye. The top seeds experienced a tough examination from the second seeds, Hong Kong's Doo Hoi Kem and Li Ching Wan. They needed the full five games to succeed 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9.

Ang Wan Qi also added a Bronze to Singapore's total medal tally in Sweden. She faltered against Thailand's Khetkuen Tamolwan in the Semi Finals.

2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Bronze Secured for Gao & Li

Gao Ning and Li Jiawei will at least return home with a Bronze Medal in the Mixed Doubles after defeating 2010 Asian Games Mixed Doubles Silver medalist Cheung Yuk/Jiang Huajun in straight games.

Gao and Li was in dominant mood, showing no mercy to their Hong Kong opponents. They took the first set 11-9. Cheung and Jiang fought back in the second set but Gao and Li managed to keep cool and won 11-9. Gao and Li continued their good form winning 11-3 in the last set.

Gao Ning and Li Jiawei will face Japan's Kenji Matsudaira and Misako Wakamiya tomorrow.

2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Singapore Beat India to get 7th Place

Singapore beat India 3-1 to be placed seventh out of twenty four teams.

In the first match, Gao Ning beat Saha Subhajit 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. Yang Zi extended the lead by crashing Ghosh Soumyajit 11-2, 13-11, 11-8. Replacing Pang Xuejie in the third match is Chew Zheyu Clarence. He lost to Shetty Sanil by the narrowest margin 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 5-11, 4-11. Gao Ning finishes off the game with another 3-0 win over Ghosh Soumyajit. Gao won 11-9, 11-6, 11-5.

Singapore also enjoyed success in the Mixed Doubles Event. Gao Ning/Li Jiawei beat Thailand's Chaitat Chaisit/Komwong Nanthana and Indonesia's Santoso Ficky Sup/Ferliana Christine 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. Meanwhile Yang Zi/Yu Mengyu defeated both Shetty Sanil/Kumaresan Shamini of Indonesia and Mongolia's Lkhagvas/Delgermaa in straight games.

Gao/Li will face Hong Kong's Cheung Yuk/Jiang Huajun while Yang/Yu will take on China's Xu Xin/Guo Yan in the Quarter Finals tomorrow. The Singles Events will commence tomorrow as well.

2012 Asian Table Tennis Championships - Singapore settled for Silver

China took revenge on Singapore, beating the reigning world champions 1-3.

Guo Yan overcame Feng Tianwei 11-8, 12-10, 11-6, while Guo Yue defeated Li Jiawei 11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 13-11 to give China a two matches to nil lead. However, the on form Yu Mengyu fought back and beat Liu Shiwen 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8. Guo Yue ended matters after accounting for Feng Tianwei 11-3, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9.

Meanwhile our Men's Team suffered a 2-3 defeat against Hong Kong in a placing match. They will take on India tomorrow to determine the seventh place.

The individual events will also commence tomorrow. Gao Ning/Li Jiawei will play Thailand's Chaitat Chaisit/Komwong Nanthana while Yang Zi/Yu Mengyu will take on India's Shetty Sanil/Kumaresan Shamini.