The winner in Canada in 2012, Hong Kong’s Lam Yee Lok collected her second career ITTF Junior Circuit Girls’ Singles crown in the Adriatic coastal resort of Lignano on Thursday 28^th February 2013.

She won the Junior Girls’ Singles title at the Italian Junior and Cadet Open, a tournament in which she excelled in the second stage, having made a faltering start on the first day of action.

 In the group stage of proceedings, she was comprehensively beaten by Japan’s Kana Takeuchi (11-9, 11-6, 11-2). She finished in second place in her group and thus narrowly qualified for the main draw; on day one the title seemed far distant.

On the second day of play, it was a very different story, she excelled.

The no.2 seed, she accounted for Slovenia’s Nina Zupancic, the no.11 seed in the quarter-finals (116, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7), before ending the hopes of colleague, Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.1 seed (11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) to reserve her place in the final

Impressive wins and after a slow start it was an impressive performance in the final.

 She overcame Japan’s Rira Ishikawa, the third seed, recovering from a two games to nil deficit to post a six games success (11, 5-11, 12-10, 13-11, 11-9, 11-9).

The win means that on the ITTF Junior Circuit Standings, Lam Yee Lok moves into second place with 1,500 points behind Sweden’s Linda Bergström who has 1,578 points. Minnie Soo Wai Yam is in tenth place with 660 points.

Meanwhile, in the Junior Boys’ Singles event in Italy, it was a bronze medal for Hung Ka Tak; on the second day of play, he overcame Italy’s Alessandro Baciocchi (11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6), before losing to the champion elect, Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-Sheng (11-5, 11-7, 11-3, 13-11).

A semi-final defeat for Hung Ka Tak; it was defeat one round earlier for Lam Siu Hang and Li Hon Ming.

Lam Siu Hang, who on the opening day had caused the shock of the tournament by beating Italy’s second seeded Leonardo Mutti (10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9), suffered defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic’s Tibor Pavlik (11-7, 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9).

Defeat and it was an agonising defeat for Li Hon Ming; he was beaten by the very narrowest of margins by David Reitspies, the third seed and eventual runner up. He lost by the minimal two point margin in the deciding game (9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9).

Lee Chia-Sheng, having also won the previous week in Sweden, leads the Boys’ Standings but Hong Kong is strongly represented.

Hung Ka Tak is in 10^th place with 780 points, Lam Sui Hang occupies 13^th spot owning 660 pints with Li Hon Ming possessing 540 points in 15^th place.

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo by: Ennis Luna