One Year Ago Last Four, Now Doo Hoi Kem Must Start at Beginning

A semi-finalist one year ago when being beaten by Austria’s Liu Jia, after at one stage holding a three games to nil lead; one year later Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem must start at the very beginning.

Currently named at no.35 on the Women’s World Rankings, she is the highest listed player in the preliminary rounds of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open which starts on Tuesday 17^th February.

Furthermore, she arrives in Doha in good form; at the recently concluded GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, she won the Under 21 Women’s Singles title.

Next in the order of merit is the Czech Republic’s Iveta Vacenovska, followed by Germany’s Petrissa Solja and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu. They complete the top four names in the Women’s Singles preliminary stage; an event organised on a knock-out principle which sees 51 players competing for the 16 places available to join the 16 seeds in the main draw.

It is for Iveta Vacenovska her second ITTF World Tour appearance of the year and no doubt she will be seeking to improve on her first; she played in the opening event in January, suffering a somewhat surprise defeat at the hands of Poland’s 17 year old Natalia Bajor. At the time, Iveta Vacenovska was named at no.40 on the Women’s World Rankings, Natalia Bajor was at no.192.

However, for both Petrissa Solja and Chen Szu-Yu, the situation is somewhat different; both enter proceedings in Doha in good form.

At the recent NN Table Tennis Club 2015 Europe Top 16 tournament in Baku, Petrissa Solja excelled expectations to reach the final of the Women’s event where the defending champion, Austria’s Liu Jia ended progress; whilst Chen Szu-Yu continued her fine form of last December in Kuwait to qualify for the main draw.

Winner of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Bangkok some two months ago, Chen Szu-Yu successfully negotiated the preliminary rounds in Kuwait before losing to China’s Chen Meng, the no.8 seed.

Meanwhile, in the preliminary phase of the Men’s Singles event, where there are 93 players competing and as in the initial stage. Similar to the Women’s Singles event, matters are organised on the knock-out principle with 16 places being available in the main draw.

There are most notable names on duty. Brazil’s Gustavo Tsuboi, Portugal’s João Monteiro, Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi and Germany’s Patrick Franziska form the top four names.

Both Gustavo Tsuboi and Jiang Tianyi were on duty in Kuwait. Gustavo Tsuboi underlined the fact that he is now becoming a most consistent player, he performed as his status predicted.

He successful negotiated the preliminary round before experiencing defeat at the hands of China’s Fang Bo, the no.10 seed.

It was somewhat the reverse scenario for Jiang Tianyi. Having beaten Alexey Liventsov in the second round of the Men’s Singles event, en route to securing the title at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Hungary Open two weeks earlier in Budapest, he was beaten by the Russian in the concluding preliminary round in Kuwait.

Currently Jiang Tianyi is named at no.30 on the Men’s World Rankings, Alexey Liventsov is at no.77

The situation is somewhat similar for João Monteiro and Patrick Franziska; there is a diversity of outcomes.

At the TMS 2014 European Team Championships in Lisbon, there was a total contrast of fortunes; João Monteiro played a crucial role in the Portuguese triumph, whilst poor Patrick Franziska limped out of the hall, with the help of a crutch after sustaining an ankle injury.

Now in Doha, the task for Patrick Franziska is to replicate the form displayed at the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Championships in Doha, when he played a major role in Germany’s Men’s Team silver medal success.

Conversely for João Monteiro the goal is to continue the good form of some ten days ago when he reached the quarter-final stage of the Men’s event at NN Table Tennis Club 2015 Europe Top 16 tournament in Baku.

Play in the Main Draw of the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events commence on Friday 20^th February.

Article by : ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by : Fadi Al-Assaad