Experience kept hopes alive for Hong Kong, as the Special Administrative Region of China, suffered setbacks in the opening round of the Women’s Singles event at the ITTF 2013 World Tour Austrian Open in Wels on Friday 25^th January.

Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nan both experienced somewhat unexpected defeats but Jiang Huajun steadied the ship to book her place in the second round.

Both Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam suffered reverses at the hands of players who had negotiated two days of qualification matches.

The no.20 seed, Lee Ho Ching was beaten by Japan’s Yuki Nonaka in six games (7-11, 11-4, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4, 11-4); whilst Ng Wing Nam, the no.31 seed, lost to Korea’s Kang Misoon (11-4, 11-8, 11-5, 13-11).

Maintained Spanish Form
However, for Jiang Huajun there were no such travails as experienced by the two 20 year olds.

Eight years their senior and in good form having won the Women’s Singles title one week earlier at the ITTF 2013 World Tour Spanish Open, Jiang Huajun maintained the form displayed in the Mediterranean coastal city of Almeria.

Occupying the no.7 seeded position in the draw, she accounted for Hungary’s Dora Madarasz in five games (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5).

More Upsets
Defeats for two seeded players as matters commenced in the Women’s Singles event and there were two further upsets

Again, a Korean player was in form. Song Maeum followed the example set by Kang Misoon; she accounted for Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the no.30 seed, in a hard fought duel that saw the Korean maintain her focus to record a fine win.

Song Maeum won in seven games (9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7).

Li Fen Finds Form
Three upsets in the lower half of the draw, the one further surprise came when two players, who had been required to compete in the qualification stage of proceedings clashed.

Sweden’s Li Fen, who had been experienced problems in the first phase of proceedings found her best form to beat Germany’s Petrissa Solja. Currently Li Fen appears at no.275 on the Women’s World Rankings; Petrissa Solja is at no.69 and was the highest World ranked player in the first phase of action.

Earlier Defeat
On the opening day of play Li Fen had been beaten by Russia’s Oxana Fadeeva in a nail-biting seven games encounter (11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 3-11, 12-10, 11-9, 12-10). Eventually, she finished the group in second place and progressed to the preliminary round where she accounted for Spain’s Maria Xiao in a most impressive manner (11-3, 11-6, 11-4, 11-1).

It would seem that Li Fen has a penchant for left handers; like Maria Xiao, Petrissa Solja is left handed. Li Fen beat the rising German star in six games (11-6, 11-2, 10-12, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7).

Success for Leading Names
Four upsets but not for the leading names in the lower of the draw in the first round of the Women’s Singles event.

In addition to Jiang Huajun there were successes for China’s L:I Xiaoxia, the no.2 seed; Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa, the no.3 seed and Li Jiao of the Netherlands, the no.8 seed; all succeeded against qualifiers.

Impressive Margins
Li Xiaoxia beat Russia’s Anna Blazhko (11-5, 11-1, 11-7, 11-2), Kasumi Ishikawa defeated Korea’s Choi Jeongmin (11-8, 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-13, 11-5); whilst Li Jiao ended the hopes of Poland’s Kinga Stefanska (11-6, 13-11, 11-7, 11-6). 

 Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo by: Pablo Rubio