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A Liking for Germany, Minnie Soo Wai Yam Causes Early Upset
Crucial to Hong Kong’s bronze medal success at the Wisdom 2014 World Junior Championships in Shanghai, where she beat both Nina Mittelham and Chantal Mantz in the quarter-final duel against Germany; on Wednesday 18th March, once again Minnie Soo Wai Yam took a liking to the European country.
She was the player to cause arguably the biggest upset as matters commenced in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour German Open in Bremen on Wednesday 18th March.
Focused, remaining calm, she accounted for Poland’s Katarzyna Grzybowska in a close seven games duel (3-11, 11-7, 13-11, 1-11, 14-12, 7-11, 11-8).
Undoubtedly for the 16 year old, who on the ITTF Junior Circuit was the Girls’ Singles runner up in Cape Town in 2011 and two years later in Metz, it was one of the best performances of her career.
Currently Minnie Soo Wai Yam is listed at no.127 on the Women’s World Rankings, as opposed to Katarzyna Grzybowska who is at no.83. Furthermore, the 25 year old Polish player has enjoyed notable successes.
At the recent GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals staged in Bangkok last December, she was the Women’s Doubles runner up in harness with Natalia Partyka.
However, perhaps more notable and a measure of Minnie Soo Wai Yam’s performance on the opening morning in Bremen, was the efforts of Katarzyna Grzybowska at the GAC Group 2012 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open.
On that occasion she caused the biggest Women’s Singles first round upset by beating China’s Wen Jia before losing to the champion elect, the latter’s colleague Chen Meng.
One year earlier Wen Jia had won the Women’s Singles title at the Volkswagen China Open!
Article by: Ian Marshall
Photo By: Ireneusz Stosik
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