Wong Chun Ting won the match of the tournament, even the match of the year but on Saturday 22nd June 2013 it was the end of the road for Hong Kong at the ITTF World Tour Japan Open in Yokohama.
On Friday 21st June, Wong Chun Ting won an epic battle; one to remember, he beat Russia’s Grigory Vlasov in one of the longest seventh games ever recorded since the 11 point system was introduced.
Incredibly Wong Chung Ting won 7-11, 5-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 19-17!
Success in the opening round, Wong Chun Ting progressed to overcome Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chun Lin in four straight games (12-10, 11-6, 11-6, 11-3), before suffering defeat on the penultimate day of action in the third round against the host nation’s Masataka Morizono (11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-9).
Similarly, it was a third round Men’s Singles exit for Tang Peng, he accounted for Sweden’s Mattias Översjö in the opening round (11-5, 14-12, 10-12, 11-6, 10-12, 13-15, 11-5), before overcoming Japan’s Asuka Machi (19-17, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6).
The end of the road came against China’s Xu Chenhao; Tang Peng suffered defeat in five games (11-4, 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7).
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Singles event both Jiang Huajun and Lee Ho Ching departed in round two.
Jiang Huajun beat China’s Zhu Chaohui (11-6, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9) before suffering defeat at the hands of the latter’s colleague, Gu Yuting (7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10, 11-13, 11-8); whilst Lee Ho Ching overcome Korea’s Kang Misoon (12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7), before Japan’s Ai Fukuhara, the no.2 seed ended adventures.
Second round exits for Jiang Huajun and Lee Ho Ching in the Women’s Singles event; in the Women’s Doubles it was a semi-final departure.
The duo overcame Korea’s Hwang Jina and Kang Misoon (11-6, 11-9, 11-4) before recording a quarter-final success against Germany’s Xhan Xiaona and Kristin Silbereisen (11-8, 11-5, 13-15, 11-8).
Two fine performances but it was farewell in the semi-finals; the Hong Kong duo suffered defeat at the hands of China’s Gu Yuting and Zhou Xintong (6-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-8).
Article By: Ian Marshall
)
