Watching him play you must remind yourself that he is only 16 years old; in 2015 he will still be eligible to compete in junior events, Fan Zhendong is a young man who belies his teenage years.

The fact was illustrated clearly in the final of the Men’s Team event at the Asian Championships in the Korean city of Busan on the evening of Wednesday 3^rd July 2013, when China defeated Japan by three matches to nil to retain the title secured one year earlier in the gambling mecca of Macau.

After Xu Xin had beaten Jun Mizutani (13-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-5) and Ma Long had overcome Kenta Matsudaira (11-6, 11-4, 11-6), Fan Zhendong completed the goals set by Head Coach, Liu Guoliang to clinch the top prize for China.

Fan Zhendong, physically more developed and stronger than most others of similar years, whilst also having the mental attributes of a player ten years older, overcame 26 year old Seiya Kishikawa in five games (13-11, 11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 11-2) to seal victory.

It is the margin of victory in the deciding fifth game against Seiya Kishikawa that underlines the strong mental resolve of Fan Zhendong, the young man who throughout 2012 stood at the top of the Under 15 Boys’ World Rankings and completed the year by winning the Boys’ Singles title at the World Junior Championships in Hyderabad.

He started the contest with youthful exuberance; in fact too much, he made mistakes before calming his policy to win a close opening game. He secured the second but lost the next two as Seiya Kishikawa fought for the cause; one day earlier at the semi-final stage he had beaten Chiang Hung-Chieh in five games after losing the first two.

Could he repeat the experience; the answer came fast and in the negative.

Undoubtedly, Fan Zhendong has a powerful forehand and like Ma Long favours moving around the backhand to execute the master stroke. In the fifth game he was under strict instructions from Liu Guoliang not to exercise that skill but to trade backhand to backhand and when the time was right change direction by executing a fast stroke with minimal topspin, a punch in true Zhang Jike style.

Implicitly Fan Zhendong obeyed the instructions; he won the first five points of the deciding game and the die was cast.

Korea (Lee Jungwoo, Seo Hyundeok, Jung Youngsik, Lee Sangsu) and Chinese Taipei

(Chuang Chih-Yuan, Chen Chien-An, Chiang Hung-Chieh, Huang Sheng-Sheng, Wu Chih-Chi), the beaten semi-finalists received the bronze medals with Singapore finishing in fifth place ahead of Hong Kong, India and Iran.

One day earlier Hong Kong had beaten Iran by three matches to one with Jiang Tianyi the architect of victory.

He overcame Mohammedreza Akhlaghpasand (11-2, 11-6, 11-4) and Noshad Alamiyan (11-4, 12-10, 14-12) with the one further success for Hong Kong coming from Wong Chun Ting against Noshad Alamiyan (12-10, 11-6, 11-9). The one win for Iran had come from Nima Alamian against Cheung Yuk in the third match of the contest (5-11, 11-5, 3-11, 14-12, 11-5).

At the same time, Singapore overcame India by three matches to two with Gao Ning the mainstay of success and Yang Zi, the hero.

Gao Ning beat Sharath Kamal Achanta (11-6, 12-10, 11-7) and Soumyajit Ghosh (11-4, 11-8, 11-13, 10-12, 11-5), with the one further success being executed by Yang Zi in the concluding match of the fixture. He overcame Sharath Kamal Achanta in three straight games (11-9, 11-6, 11-8) to secure success for Singapore.

The wins for India had come from Soumyajit Ghosh in the first match of the fixture and from Amalraj Anthony in the third match; Soumyajit Ghosh overcame Yang Zi (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, Amalraj Anthony accounted for Clarence Chew (11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7).

Wins for Hong Kong and Singapore meant they had secured a top six place; thus at the next Asian Championships they gain automatic quarter-final places.

India and Iran must play in the qualification group and preliminary round stages to gain places in the last eight.

In the play-off contests to decide the final order it was success for Singapore and Hong Kong.

Singapore secured fifth place following a three-two win over Hong Kong with Yang Zi the mainstay of success.

He beat Wong Chun Ting (11-7, 4-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-9) and in the concluding match of the fixture Chiu Chung Hei (6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11). The one further Singaporean win coming from Gao Ning; in the fourth match of the tussle he overcame Wong Chun Ting (11-5, 11-5, 11-6).

The wins for Hong Kong came from Chiu Chung Hei over Gao Ning (9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9) in the second match and in the immediately ensuing contest for Tang Peng over Pang Xue Jie (11-5, 11-5, 11-6).

A full distance win for Singapore to gain fifth place, for India it was a three-one win over Iran to clinch seventh spot.

Backbone of the success was Sharath Kamal Achanta. He beat Nima Alamian (8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9) and Noshad Alamiyan (11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 2-11, 11-7). The one further success for Iran came from Amalraj Anthony in the third match of the fixture, he beat Mohammedreza Akhlaghpasand (9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5); for Iran the one winner was Noshad Alamiyan, the second contest of the duel, he defeated Soumyajit Ghosh (11-7, 11-6, 11-9).

Team events over, on Thursday 4^th July, attention now focuses on the individual events.

Article By: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo By: Hu Xiaojun