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The ITTF 2013 World Tour Qatar Open may not have been the happiest of hunting grounds for Hong Kong; nevertheless Jiang Huajun, Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam are in major contention for qualification for the Grand Finals to be staged in early 2014.
Jiang Huajun occupies sixth place on the Women’s Singles Standings with 2141 points; the win in Spain, in the first tournament of the year, being a major boost to her aspirations.
Lower down the order is Lee Ho Ching, she is just one place below the cut off line in 17th spot with 37 points. The top 16 players on the Standings following the conclusion of the Swedish Open on Sunday 1st December qualify for the Grand Finals. There is the proviso that they must have competed in at least five tournaments on the 2013 schedule.
Similarly, Jiang Huajun is above the water line in the Women’s Doubles Standings with Lee Ho Ching. They are currently in seventh place with 82 points; the top at the end of the programme who competed as a pairing in at least four tournament receive invitations to the Grand Finals.
A strong position from which to build and it is the same in the Under 21 Women’s Singles event, where players must compete in four events on two continents to qualify for the Grand Finals.
Ng Wing Nam, who won in Spain, is in fourth place with 151 points, Lee Ho Ching is close behind in sixth place with 106 points.
Meanwhile, for the men there is work to be done, the one bright light being in the Men’s Doubles. Jiang Tianyi and Tang Peng, the winners at the KAL Cup Pro Tour Grand Finals in December 2010, are four places below the line; they are in 12th place with 38 points.
China’s Ding Ning leads the Women’s Singles Standings with 575 points with Ma Long leading the Men’s Singles Standings; Ding Ning has 575 points, Ma Long owns 450 points.
Three pairs share the top place in the Men’s Doubles Standings, all with 300 points; Ma Long and Zhang Jike plus Yan An in partnership with Wang Hao and also with Xu Xin.
Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxia head the Women’s Doubles listings with 800 points whilst Germany’s Patrick Franziska and Korea’s Yan Haeun ate the respective Under 21 Men’s Singles and Under 21 Women’s Singles leaders.
Both won in Qatar; Patrick Franziska has 350 points; Yang Haeun 300 points.
Leading Positions following ITTF World Tour Qatar Open
Men’s Singles:
1. MA Long (CHN) 450 pts
2. ZHANG Jike (CHN) 363 pts
3. FANG Bo (CHN) 209 pts
4. YAN An (CHN) 169 pts
5. WANG Hao (CHN) 150 pts
5. XU Xin (CHN) 150 pts
7. CHUANG Chih-Yuan (TPE)
8. Cazuo MATSUMOTO (BRA)
Women’s Singles
1. DING Ning (CHN) 575 pts
2. LIU Shiwen (CHN) 450 pts
3. LI Xiaoxia (CHN) 213 pts
4. FENG Tianwei (SIN) 188 pts
5. ZHU Yuling (CHN) 175 pts
6. JIANG Huajun (HKG) 141 pts
7. Kasumi ISHIKAWA (JPN) 88 pts
8. SHEN Yanfei (ESP) 69 pts
Men’s Doubles
1. MA Long / ZHANG Jike (CHN) 300 pts
1. WANG Hao / YAN An (CHN) 300 pts
1. XU Xin / YAN An (CHN) 300 pts
4. GAO Ning / LI Hu (SIN) 150 pts
4. KIM Minseok / SEO Hyundeok (KOR) 150 pts
Women’s Doubles
1. DING Ning / LI Xiaoxia (CHN) 800 pts
2. Kasumi ISHIKAWA / Misaki MORIZONO (JPN) 200 pts
3. Zhenqi BARTHEL / SHAN Xiaona (GER) 175 pts
4. CHEN Meng / ZHU Yuling (CHN) 175 pts
5. Miu HIRANO / Mima ITO (JPN) 113 pts
Under 21 Men’s Singles
1. Patrick FRANZISKA (GER) 350 pts
2. Yuto MURAMATSU (JPN) 250 pts
3. Maharu YOSHIMURA (JPN) 200 pts
4. Julien INDEHERBERG (BEL) 122 pts
Under 21 Women’s Singles
1. YANG Haeun (KOR) 300 pts
2. Shiho MATRSUDAIRA (JPN) 219 pts
3. Petrissa SOLJA (GER) 200 pts
4. NG Wing Nam (HKG) 151 pts
Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
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