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On the second day of play at the 2014 Chinese Taipei Junior and Cadet Open, Hong Kong had excelled to win the Junior Girls’ Team title. On the third day of play, Friday 26th September, they excelled once again; this time in the Junior Girls’ Singles competition.
Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.5 seed, secured first place in her group; likewise, it was top spot in the group for Mak Tze Wing, Liu Qi and Zhu Chengzhu.
The success recorded by Minnie Soo Wai Yam and Mak Tze Wing were as status predicted; for Liu Qi and Zhu Chengzhu, they were against the odds.
Unbeaten throughout the Team event, Minnie Soo Wai Yam beat Indonesia’s Novi Oktavia (11-5, 11-3, 11-4), before recovering from a two games to nil deficit, to beat Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Chiao (8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-8).
Impressively, she concluded her initial phase contests with success against Liang Yu-Chieh, also from the host association (11-8, 11-4, 11-8).
Good form from Minnie Soo Wai Yam; it was the same from Mak Tze Wing, the no.7 seed.
She accounted for Indonesia’s Gustin Dwijayanti (11-2, 11-6, 11-9), Chinese Taipei’s Lin Po-Hsuan (11-13, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6) and Korea’s Kim Johghwa (11-2, 13-11, 11-4).
Success for the seeded Hong Kong teenagers; for Liu Qi and Zhu Chengzhu, it was success in opposition to seeded teenagers.
Liu Qi opened her account by beating Indonesia’s Riri Audyra (11-9, 11-6, 11-4), before upsetting the status quo by overcoming Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Ssu-Hua, the no.3 seed (11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8). She concluded matters by defeating Korea’s Jhou Sin-Yi (11-3, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8); a player in form. Earlier, in the opening match in the group she had overcome Chiu Ssu-Hua (11-7, 11-9, 14-12); a contest that in effect secured second place in the group.
Defeat for the third seed at the hands of Hong Kong; it was also defeat for Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the no.8 seed.
She was beaten by Zhu Chengzhu (12-10, 11-4, 11-4) who duly topped the group courtesy of success against Indonesia’s Aisay Aini (11-2, 11-6, 11-5) and Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Chia-Yun (6-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-7). Adriana Diaz, only 13 years old, duly secured second position in the group.
Problems for two leading names in the first stage of the Junior Girls’ Singles event and there were problems for two more.
Lin Chia-Hsuan, the no.9 seed, was beaten by colleague Wang Ting-Lyu (5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 13-11) and had to settle for second place in her group with Wang Ting-Lyu remaining unbeaten to finish in top place.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Rira Ishikawa, the no.2 seed, was beaten by China’s Li Yijin in four games (11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 14-12) but secured first place in the group.
Alongside Li Yijin and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ying-Chen; she completed matters with two wins and one defeat. She overcame Chen Ying-Chen in three straight games (11-5, 11-2, 11-6); whilst four games Chen Ying-Chen defeated Li Yijin (11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7).
Thus it was first place in the group for Rira Ishikawa (4:3) followed by Li Yijin (4:4) and Chen Ying-Chen 3:4).
A close call for Rira Ishikawa but for the remaining leading names in the initial stage of the Junior Girls’ Singles event it was pole position.
Top places were reserved by Japan’s Mima Ito and Ayane Morita as they were by Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Wen.
Play in the main draw of both the Junior Girls’ Singles events, commences on Saturday 27th September.
Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Aden Hsu
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Liu Qi who upset the seeding by beating Chiu Ssu-Hua |
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