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China’s Fan Zhendong and Hong Kong’s Ng Wing Nam won the respective Under 21 Men’s Singles and Under 21 Women’s Singles titles at the ITTF World Tour China Open in Changchun on Saturday 15th June 2013 and in so doing moved up one step up the international scale.
Both have enjoyed success at events that are part of the ever growing ITTF Global Junior Programme.
In 2010 Ng Wing Nam, now 20 years old, won the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open in Tunis; whilst more recently and most noticeably, Fan Zhendong mounted the top step of the Boys’ Singles medal podium at the World Junior Championships in Hyderabad in December 2012.
Changchun Victories
On the penultimate day of play, Fan Zhendong, the no.2 seed, upset the pecking order by beating compatriot Yan An, the no.1 seed, in the final in six games (11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-4, 13-11).
A splendid performance; it came soon after Ng Wing Nam had won a thrilling full distance seven games duel in opposition to Japan’s Miyu Kato (11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7, 12-10) to secure the counterpart female title.
Still Time
Ng Wing Nam occupied the top seeded position in the draw; Miyu Kato was the no.7 seed.
Defeat for Miyu Kato but it was a quite outstanding performance, she is only 14 years old and in theory will be eligible to compete in the event in 2019!
Mentally Strong
"The win still has not set in”, sighed Ng Wing, who had been tested to the limit and had proved herself mentally strong and attuned to the occasion.
“Actually I had a very tough draw, from the very first round until now, which is my fourth match; I am feeling quite tired but I know that when I am at the table, I need to be focused”, added Ng Wing Nam. “The win is a result of my will!"
Won Crucial Points
Equally the latter stages had been testing times for Fan Zhendong.
"Along the way to become the Under 21 Men's Singles champion, I had many tough matches including the semi-finals and final”, said Fan Zhendong. “I think the key to my win is that I have made many improvements to my game since the competition started; I managed to win the crucial points.”
Improving and no doubt the win has bolstered the self-belief of the 16 year old.
Gained Confidence
“I certainly gained a lot of confidence from this win, as confidence is accumulated through all the victories in life”, concluded Fan Zhendong.
A boost for Fan Zhendong, it is also a boost for Hong Kong, a boost for Ng Wing Nam.
Article By: Ian Marshall
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