Names familiar to the ITTF Global Junior Programme were very much in evidence, as matters progressed the quarter-final stage of the both Boys’ and Girls’ Singles events at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing on Sunday 18^th August 2013.

Notably China’s Fan Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang, the respective top seeds, booked their places in the last eight; both were very much in evidence in 2012.

In January Liu Gaoyang completed a clean sweep of titles at the ITTF Cadet Challenge in Puerto Rico, her smooth style simply a joy to behold.

Certainly, they are impressive but from where does the great challenge to Chinese hegemony emanate?

Present at the Asian Youth Games is Mikael Andersson, the ITTF Senior Consultant for Development, Education and Training and he was in no doubt.

“In the Girls’ Singles almost nothing is upsetting the world order”, he said. “The top two Chinese advanced to the quarter-finals with ease and the only possible challenges in the final day will most likely come from the talented Hong Kong China duo of Doo Hoi Kem and Lam Yee Lok.”

Lam Yee Lok booked her place in the quarter-finals by beating Korea’s Lee Yujin (11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7); Doo Hoi Kem defeated Malaysia’s Lim Yi-Wen (11-8, 11-3, 11-1, 11-5).

Play in the table tennis events concludes on Monday 19^th August

Last 16: Boys’ Singles

Fan Zhendong (CHN) bt Supanut Wisutmaythangkoon (THA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6

Sun Chia-Hung (TPE) bt Park Ganghyeon (KOR) 13-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10

Abishek Yadav (IND) bt Sorrosh Amiri Nia (IRI) 6-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8

Dunley Foo (MAS) bt Tonin Ryuzaki (JPN) 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 2-11, 3-11, 11-7

Kim Minyeok (KOR) bt Yin Jing Wan (SIN) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6

Huang Chien-Tu (TPE) bt Sirawit Puagthip (THA) 11-3, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9

Liang Jingkun (CHN) bt Ri Kwangmyong (PRK) 11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10

Last 16: Girls’ Singles

Liu Gaoyang (CHN) bt Tay Hui Ki (SIN) 11-1, 11-2, 11-8, 11-5

Chiu Ssu-Hua (TPE) bt Orawan Paranang (THA) 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5

Lam Yee Lok (HKG) bt Lee Yujin (KOR) 11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7

Ayane Morita (JPN) bt Kim Jinju (PRK) 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6

Zhu Chaohui (CHN) bt Yee Herng Hwee (SIN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4

Huang Yu-Wen (TPE) bt Vu Thi Thua Ha (VIE) 11-5, 12-10, 3-11, 12-10, 11-5

Lee Seul (KOR) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (IND) 11-7, 11-7, 13-11, 11-4

Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) bt Lim Yi-Wen (MAS) 11-8, 11-3, 11-1, 11-5

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo by: 2013 Nanjing Asian Youth Games official website