Differing Fortunes for Hong Kong in Doha

Success for Li Ching Wan but disappointment for Doo Hoi Kem; it was mixed emotions for Hong Kong, as matters progressed to the semi-final stage of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open in Doha on the evening of Thursday 19^th February.

Not seeded, Li Ching Wan caused a major upset in the opening round by beating Germany’s Petrissa Solja, the no.2 seed and the defending champion (11-9, 4-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8), before securing her place in the semi-finals by accounting for Korea’s Choi Jeongmin (10-12, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6).

Conversely, Doo Hoi Kem, the top seed, who had emerged victorious the previous week in Kuwait, after overcoming Turkey’s Gul Pembe Ozkaya (11-4, 11-4, 11-2), experienced a penultimate round reverse.

She was beaten by Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the no.5 seed, after holding a two games to nil lead (7-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6); one round earlier Bernadette Szocs had overcome Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Chiao (11-4, 11-9, 2-11, 11-7).

At the semi-final stage of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event in Doha, Bernadette Szocs faces Singapore’s Zhou Yihan, the no.4 seed; Li Ching Wan confronts Lin Ye, the no.3 seed and also from Singapore.

In the latter stages, Lin Ye beat Hong Kong’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam (11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7) and Croatia’s Lea Rakovac, the no.7 seed (13-11, 11-3, 11-5), to reserve her place in the penultimate round; in the same rounds, Zhou Yihan overcame Qatar’s Aia Mohamed (11-6, 12-10, 11-5) and compatriot Zeng Jian (11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 11-8).

Meanwhile, in the Under 21 Men’s Singles event there was notable success for Hong Kong with Ho Kwan Kit alongside Benjamin Brossirer of France causing upsets.

Benjamin Brossierr recovered from a two games to nil deficit in the opening round to overcome Korea’s Kim Donghyun, the no.3 seed, eventually succeeding in five games (5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-3), before reserving his place in the semi-finals by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Yang Heng-Wei, the no.7 seed (11-9, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4).

Two fine performances by Benjamin Brossier, it was the same from Ho Kwan Kit.

Occupying the no.8 seeded position in the event, he accounted for Benjamin Brossier’s compatriot, Antoine Hachard in the opening round (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6), before eventually overcoming Korea’s Jang Woojin, the no.2 seed, in a tense five games duel (12-10, 14-16, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8).

Success at the quarter-final stage of the Under 21 Men’s Singles event for Benjamin Brossier and Ho Kwan Kit; somewhat unusually two defensively minded players also progressed to the penultimate round.

After fighting back from a two games to nil deficit against Hungary’s Adam Szudi to record a five games win (7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6), the Slovak Republic’s Wang Yang, the top seed, eventually wore down the resistance of Singapore’s Wu Zhikang, the no.5 seed (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-2).

Meanwhile, at the same time Korea’s Kang Dongsoo, the no.4 seed, was involved in an epic duel against Liao Cheng-Ting, the no.6 seed and like Yang Heng-Wei from Chinese Taipei.

In what was arguably the closest match witnessed so far this year on the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour, Kang Dongsoo emerged victorious, succeeding in contest that had an epic deciding fifth game.

Kang Dongsoo lost the opening two games relatively comfortably before securing next three, each by the minimal two point margin (7-11, 4-11, 12-10, 13-11, 18-16).

At the semi-final stage Wang Yang meets Benjamin Brossier, Kang Dongsoo opposes Ho Kwan Kit.

The semi-finals and finals of both the Under 21 Men’s Singles and Under 21 Women’s Singles events will be played on Friday 20th February.