Lee Ho Ching Impresses Once Again, Quarter-Finalist in Magdeburg

Impressive at the GAC Honda Asian Cup in Wuhan, one week later at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour German Open, Lee Ho Ching proved to be Hong Kong’s most successful player at the five day tournament, which concluded in Magdeburg on Sunday 30^th March.

In the Women’s Singles event she beat Poland’s Katarzyna Grzybowska (11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-4), Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yi-Hua (6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5) and Korea’s Lee Eunhee (6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5) to book her place in the quarter-finals where Seo Hyowon, also from Korea and the top seed, ended progress.

Lee Ho Ching was beaten in six games (11-3, 4-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8); a result with which she should not be too disheartened, clearly Lee Ho Ching is improving against the defensive style.

Alas for Doo Hoi Kem and Ng Wing Nam, they could not repeat the quite incredible feats enacted one month earlier in Qatar, when both reached the semi-final stage of proceedings. In Magdeburg Doo Hoi Kem beat Japan’s Saki Tashiro (11-5, 12-10, 11-6, 12-10), a player selected for the Japanese Team at the forthcoming ZEN-NOH World Team Championships in Tokyo, before losing to the host nation’s Han Ying (11-7, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6).

A second round reverse for Doo Hoi Kem; it was first round defeat for Ng Wing Nam; like Lee Ho Ching, she suffered at Korean hands. She was beaten by Park Youngsook 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10).

Likewise, in the Women’s Doubles event, Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam were not able to match the gold medal winning success experienced in Qatar.

They accounted for Romania’s Iulia Necula and Bernadette Szocs (11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6), before ousting the reigning European champions, the host nation’s Petrissa Solja and Sabine Winter (11-7, 11-9, 11-7) to reach the penultimate round, where the champions elect halted adventures.

Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam suffered defeat at the hands of Japan’s Miu Hirano and Mima Ito (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6).

Meanwhile, for the men, the most successful players on duty for Hong Kong proved to be Jiang Tianyi and Cheung Yuk.

In the Men’s Singles event, Jiang Tianyi accounted for Hungarian defender Adam Pattantyus (11-5, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5) and Japan’s Kazuhiro Chan (11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 13-11), before losing to eventual semi-finalist, Portugal’s Tiago Apolonia (9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 15-13, 13-11).

Similarly, Cheung Yuk defeated Korea’s Lee Sangsu (11-4, 15-13, 11-6, 6-11, 4-11, 11-6) and Austria’s Daniel Habesohn (4-11, 9-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9), both players who have won ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles titles, before losing to Sweden’s Pär Gerell (11-5, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7).

Third round exits for Cheung Yuk and Jiang Tianyi; for Tang Peng it was farewell in round one, for Wong Chun Ting, he waved goodbye on round later.

Both experienced defeat against Japanese opposition. Tang Peng was beaten by the unpredictable Maharu Yoshimura (11-4, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3); whilst Wong Chun Ting beat Taku Takakiwa, also from Japan (11-7, 17-15, 7-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6), before losing to Jun Mizutani, the eventual runner up (10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 11-1, 7-11, 11-3, 11-4).

An early exit in the Men’s Singles event for Tang Peng; in the Men’s Doubles life was somewhat better.

Partnering Wong Chun Ting, the pair overcame Korea’s Kim Minseok and Seo Hyundeok, the fourth seeds (5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 13-11), before recording a quarter-final success against Jiang Tianyi who partnered China’s Zhou Kai (11-8, 11-6, 11-7).

The end of the road came in the semi-finals; they were beaten by the combination of Croatia’s Tan Ruiwu and Poland’s Wang Zengyi (11-7, 9-11, 14-12, 11-7), the reigning European champions.