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Experience told in the all Hong Kong battle for a place in the semi-finals of the Mixed Doubles event at the LIEBHERR World Championships in Paris on the morning of Friday 17th May 2013.
Cheung Yuk and Jiang Hiajun prevailed against the partnership of Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho Ching.
Success but it was hard fought success; Cheung Yuk and Jiang Huajun had to recover from a three games to one deficit to secure a hard earned victory.
Eventually they won in seven games (9-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8).
“We made many mistakes in the first four games”, said Cheung Yuk.
However, after the end of the fourth games matters changed.
“We played more consistently, more slowly”, advised Jiang Huajun; no doubt the slowly comment indicating the fact that they played with heavy top spin strokes, a high degree of rotation on the ball as opposed to speed.
“It wasn’t easy playing against another pair from Hong Kong”, added Jiang Huajun. “I think that at the end of the day experience counted; we are older than Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho Ching.”
Cheung Yuk is 31 years old, Jiang Huajun is three years younger; conversely Jiang Tianyi is 25 years of age, Lee Ho Ching is only 20 years old.
Success for Hong Kong by definition; there was also success for the Chinese partnership of Wang Liqin and Rao Jingwen, the no.1 seeds, in addition to Korea’s Lee Sangsu and Park Youngseok plus DPR Korea’s Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong.
However, the wins were not without moments of anguish, moments of trepidation.
Wang Liqin and Rao Jingwen accounted for Bora Vang and Hu Melek but needed the full seven games to stave off the Turkish challenge (11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-4).
Similarly, success for Lee Sangsu and Park Youngseok was hard earned; they needed six games to oust the partnership of Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Huang Yi-Hua (12-10, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3).
Close contests; however for Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong, life was slightly more comfortable.
They overcame Korea’s Cho Eonrae and Yang Haeun in five games (11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-3).
Article By: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Video Interview - Cheung Yuk and Jiang Huajun
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