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A clear understanding, on the fifth day of play Wednesday 1st October, at the 2014 Asian Games in the Korean city of Incheon, Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho Ching, caused one of the biggest upsets to date..
Occupying the sixth seed position in the draw, they accounted for the top seeded Chinese partnership of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng at the quarter-final stage of the Mixed Doubles event.
Not only did they succeed; impressively, they succeeded in three straight games (11-9, 11-9, 11-8).
Tough Match
“It was a tough match for us, they were better with their co-ordination; we lost the first game and we trailed in the second, making it even harder for us mentally”, reflected Fan Zhendong. ““I guess I wasn’t firm when handling the crucial points in the match; I still have Men’s Doubles and Men’s Singles events, so I hope to do better in for them.”
Three Close Games
A straight games success but each game was close and arguably it was a harder fought win then at first the score-line may suggest; a fact acknowledged by Lee Ho Ching.
"Even though we won three-nil, the match was very close, with each game only being decided by a few points”, she said. “I think the difference was that me and my partner have played in many events together and this was the Chinese pairs first match together, so I think they were a bit stressed out."
Measure of Consolation
The win for Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho Ching was domewhat consolation for the disappointment suffered earlier in the tournament in the Men’s Team and Women’s Team events. In both competitions, Hong Kong had suffered quarter-final defeats.
"After losing in the team event, I tried to get as much rest as possible in my room and watched the videos of past matches where I performed well, in order to regain my confidence”, added Lee Ho Ching. “In addition, I also tried to regain my confidence after the loss in the team event through intense training and help from my team mates."
Medal Goal
Certainly, the effort has borne fruit and a goal has been achieved.
"The Hong Kong team must win medals in this tournament under any circumstances, so I am glad we have secured at least bronze here”, said Lee Ho Ching who was pleased with her performance in the Mixed Doubles quarter-finals but believes in Incheon, she has more to offer.
"My best game has yet to come”, she added. “I believe I will play much better as I progresses in the individual events."
Also, in the Women’s Doubles event there was success Lee Ho Ching. She partnered Ng Wing Nam to third round success against Thailand’s Nanthan Komwong and Suthasini Sawettabut (11-9, 11-9, 12-10). Success for Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam; at the same stage it was defeat. They were beaten by DPR Korea’s Kim Jong and Kim Hye Song (11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7).
Second Defeat
Defeat for one Chinese pairing in the Mixed Doubles event and there was defeat for a second but the reverse was not such a great surprise.
Zhou Yu and Wu Yang, the second seeds, suffered a quarter-final defeat at the hands of DPR Korea’s Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong (8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5).
Winners of the Mixed Doubles title at the Liebherr 2013 World Championships in Paris, Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong once again proved their worth as a Mixed Doubles pair and belied their status in the tournament as the no.13 seeds.
No Clean Sweep
Only two pairs from any one national association permitted in the doubles events; in the Mixed Doubles, it means no medals for China.
They will not complete the clean sweep of four years early.
Host Nation Success
Two upsets at the quarter-final stage of the Mixed Doubles event and there was one more; one that delighted the host nation.
Korea’s Kim Minseok and Jeon Jihee, the no.7 seeds, beat Japan’s Koki Niwa and Sayaka Hirano, the no.4 seeds (11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6).
Japanese Success
Three surprises, in the one further Mixed Doubles quarter-final contest, matters went to form and it was success for Japan.
Seiya Kishikawa and Ai Fukuhara, the no.5 seeds, beat Hong Kong’s Cheung Yuk and Jiang Huajun, the no.10 seeds (11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3).
Semi-Finals
At the semi-final stage Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho Ching meet Kim Minseok and Jeon Jihee; Seiya Kishikawa and Ai Fukuhara confront Kim Hyok Bong and Kim Jong.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles events; just as in the Mixed Doubles, it was one win and one defeat for Hong Kong.
In the second round of the Men’s Singles event, Jiang Tianyi beat Saudi Arabia’s Naif Mohammed Aljadai (11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3) but Tang Peng suffered defeat at the hands of DPR Korea’s Pak Sin Hyok (13-11, 11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-7).
Defeat for Tang Peng in the Men’s Singles competition, success for Jiang Tianyi; in the Men’s Doubles second round, it was the reverse situation.
Tang Peng and Wong Chung Ting beat Korea’s Kim Donghyun and Jeong Sangeun (7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-3); Jiang Tianyi and Leung Chu Yan experienced defeat in opposition to Korea’s Lee Jungwoo and Kim Minseok (KOR) bt Jiang Tianyi / Leung Chu Yan (HKG) 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2)
Men’s Singles – Round Two
Xu Xin (CHN) bt Purshottam Bajracharya (NEP) 11-4, 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
Chen Chien-An (TPE) bt Albahrani Husain (KUW) 11-2, 11-5, 11-2, 11-5
Padasak Tanviriyavechakul (THA) bt Sharath Kamal Achanta (IND) 6-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9
Gao Ning (SIN) bt Bilegt Batkhisig (MGL) 11-3, 11-2, 11-2, 11-1
Joo Saehyuk bt Choe Il (PRK) 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7
Jiang Tianyi (HKG) bt Naif Mohammed Aljadai (KSA) 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3
Noshad Alamiyan (IRI) bt Muhammad Rameez (PAK) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
Jun Mizutani (JPN) bt Muneer Ahmed Ali Aldhubhani (YEM) 11-2, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) bt Muhammad Asim Qureshi (PAK) 11-3, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5
Kim Donghyun (KOR) bt Kirill Gerassimenko (KAZ) 13-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
Soumyajit Ghosh (IND) bt Thavisack Phathaphone (LAO) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4
Pak Sin Hyok (PRK) bt Tang Peng (HKG) 13-11, 11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-7
Koki Niwa (JPN) bt Abdulaziz Abbad Alabbad (KSA) 12-10, 12-10, 11-5, 11-8
Afshin Noroozi (IRI) bt Omar Ahmed Ali (YEM) 11-3, 11-4, 11-2, 11-3)
Li Hu (SIN) bt Lkhagvasuren Enkhbat (MGL) 11-1, 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
Fan Zhendong (CHN) bt Chang Hoi Wa (MAC) 11-1, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4
Men’s Doubles – Round Three
Fan Zhendong / Xu Xin (CHN) bt Soumyajit Ghosh / Harmeet Desai (IND) 11-9, 9-11, 11-1, 11-5
Tang Peng / Wong Chung Ting (HKG) bt Kim Donghyun / Jeong Sangeun (KOR) 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-3
Gao Ning / Li Hu (SIN) bt Chiang Hung-Chieh / Huang Sheng-Sheng (TPE) 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4
Jun Mizutani / Seiya Kishikawa (JPN) by Abdulaziz Alabbad and Naif Mohammed Aljadai 11-4, 11-5, 11-3
Kim Hyok Bong / Pak Sin Hyok (PRK) bt Chen Feng / Yang Zi (SIN) 5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9
Koki Niwa / Kenta Matsudaira (JPN) bt Sharath Kamal Achanta / Amalraj Anthony 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
Lee Jungwoo / Kim Minseok (KOR) bt Jiang Tianyi / Leung Chu Yan (HKG) 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2)
Ma Long / Zhang Jike (CHN) bt Noshad Alamiyan / Afshin Noroozi (IRI) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
Women’s Doubles – Round Three
Liu Shiwen / Wu Yang (CHN) bt Lin Ye / Zhou Yihan (SIN) 12-10, 11-4, 12-10
Park Youngsook / Yang Haeun (KOR) bt Poulomi Ghatak / Ankita Das (IND) 11-6, 11-6, 11-3
Kim Jong / Kim Hye Song (PRK) bt Doo Hoi Kem / Tie Yana 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7
Kasumi Ishikawa / Sayaka Hirano (JPN) bt Cheng I-Cheng / Huang Yi-Hua 11-9, 12-10, 11-8
Lee Ho Ching / Ng Wing Nam (HKG) bt Nanthana Komwong / Suthasini Sawettabut (THA) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
Jeon Jihee / Lee Eunhee (KOR) bt Ri Myong Sun / Kim Song (PRK) 6-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-7
Ai Fukuhara / Misako Wakamiya (JPN) bt Chen Szu-Yu / Lee I-Chen (TPE) 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6
Chen Meng / Zhu Yuling (CHN) bt Nanthana Komwong / Suthasini Sawettabut 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
Mixed Doubles: Quarter-Finals
Jiang Tianyi / Lee Ho Ching (HKG) bt Fan Zhendong / Chen Meng (CHN) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8
Kim Minseok / Jeon Jihee (KOR) bt Koki Niwa / Sayaka Hirano (JPN) 11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6
Seiya Kishikawa / Ai Fukuhara (JPN) bt Cheung Yuk / Jiang Huajun (HKG) 11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3
Kim Hyok Bong / Kim Jong (PRK) bt Zhou Yu / Wu Yang (CHN) 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5
Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Courtesy of Organising Committee
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