Li Ching Wan was the player to shine for Hong Kong at the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals staged in Guatemala City from Friday 25^th to Sunday 27^th January 2013.

A bronze medal in the Girls’ Singles event was a well-deserved reward for a player, who when a crisis loomed, remained calm and responded in a positive manner, never showing a flicker of anguish or giving her adversary any hint that she was experiencing difficulties.

In the first phase of proceedings after beating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yen-Hsin in four straight games (11-3, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9) she had to perform acts of recovery against both Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Purto Rico’s Carelyn Cordero to secure first place in the group.

She trailed Carelyn Cordero by three games to one before reeling off three games in a row to secure victory by the narrowest of margins in the seventh game (11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 4-11, 8-11, 11-5, 12-10).

A recovery against the second seed was followed immediately by a recovery against the player who finished 2012 in top spot on the ITTF Junior Girls’ Standings. She lost the first two games against Carelyn Cordero before winning the next four to secure victory (7-11, 12-14, 11-8, 11-1, 11-7, 11-4).

First place in the group stage meant a quarter-final place for Li Ching Wan; once again, she was in trouble. In opposition to Laura Pfefer of France won the opening game but then lost the next three; she secured the fourth fifth game but in the sixth looked down and out, she trailed 6-8. Remaining cool calm and collected, she won five points in a row, won the game and dominated the decider (11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5).

The win guaranteed a medal but the colour was to be bronze, against Singapore’s Isabelle Siyun Li, in a contest full of long tension packed rallies Li Ching Wan suffered defeat; she was beaten in six games (8-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8, 6-11, 11-2).

She was never able to penetrate the defensive wall erected by the Singaporean and found difficulties finding a rhythm, as a result of the sporadic attacks executed by Isabelle Siyun Li. Equally, she experienced problems against the subtle changes made by Isabelle Siyun Li who uses short pimpled rubber on the backhand and reversed rubber on the forehand.

It was the same scenario has had been experienced by Lam Yee Lok one round earlier; she found life difficult against Isabelle Siyun Li in the quarter-finals; never comfortable against the changes in the degrees of spin from the Singaporean when defending and not able to respond when Isabelle Siyun Li attacked. Isabelle Siyun Li won in five games (9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-3, 11-9).

In fact the only player who was really comfortable against Isabelle Siyun Li was the champion elect, her Singaporean colleague, Zhou Yihan. She was able to play forehand top spin after forehand top spin, no errors; she read the spin on the ball perfectly, she attacked strongly when the chance arose and was able to counter attack or block any forehand top spin stroked from her adversary.

She beat Isabelle Siyun Li in four straight games (11-4, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4) and gave the Hong Kong girls a lesson in how to play defence.

Nevertheless from Lam Yee Lok, a quarter-final place was a most creditable performance as it was in the Boys’ Singles event from Hung Ka Tak.

In the first phase of proceedings Lam Yee Lok beat New Zealand’s Ola Ratka (11-8, 11-5, 11-2, 11-3) and Charlotte Carey of New Zealand (11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8) but lost to Zhou Yihan (11-8, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9) who proved herself to be a step ahead of the field. She was never troubled at any stage of the event.

An impressive display by Lam Yee Lok, it was the same from Hung Ka Tak.

He beat Guatemala’s Amilcar Acevedo (11-5, 11-8, 11-6, 11-2) and Argentina’s Pablo Saragovi (11-6, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8) in the group phase of proceedings but suffered defeat against the top seed, Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-Sheng (11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6).

Second place in the group meant a quarter-final berth and he had his chances of reserving a semi-final place. He lost the first two games against Canada’s Chen Hongtao before recovering to level at two games all; the Canadian won the fifth but in the sixth Hung Ka Tak led 8-6.

Alas he was not able to maintain the momentum; Chen Hongtao won the next five points to secure the match (11-9, 12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8).

A last eight place for Hung Ka Tak, a meritorious effort as it was for Lam Yee Lok but pride of place goes to Li Ching Wan, Girls’ Singles bronze medallist.

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo by: Ennis Luna