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Success for Ho Kwan Kit and Lam Siu Hang, disappointment for Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu; it was mixed fortunes for Hong Kong on the late afternoon of Saturday 6th June in the east coast town of Tweed Heads.
In the final of the Men’s Doubles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Australia Open, Ho Kwan Kit and Lam Siu Hang, the no.4 seeds, caused an upset of note to beat India’s Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh, the no.3 seeds (11-4, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4) to secure the top prize.
However, in the immediate preceding contest it had been the reverse scenario for the Special Administrative Region of China; in a contest which involved two pairs who were not seeded, it was success for Korea’s Jeon Jihee and Lee Dasom in opposition to Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu.
First Success
Furthermore, somewhat unusually it was success for two pairs who as a partnership had never previously enjoyed success on the ITTF World Tour. In fact it was the first time that Ho Kwan Kit and Lam Siu Hang had ever joined forces, for Jeon Jihee and Lee Dasom it was it was only their second appearance as a unit.
Air of Revenge
It was for the Korea not only a successful second appearance but also there was an air of revenge.
The one other occasion when they had been partners was earlier this year at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Spanish Open in Almeria; on that occasion they had been beaten in the opening round by Doo Hoi Kem and her Hong Kong colleague Lee Ho Ching.
Additionally, one week earlier in the Philippines Jeon Jihee in partnerships with Yang Haeun had reached the final; they arrived too late to compete, mistakenly believing that as in Super Series tournaments the final would be on the Sunday. The end result was the contest was awarded by default to Lee Ho China and Zhu Chengzhu.
Second Title
It was revenge in more ways than one for Jeon Jihee who secured her second ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles title; in 2013 she won in Poland in partnership with Park Seonghye overcoming Germany’s Zhenqi Barthel and Shan Xiaona in the final, having earlier in the year in harness with Lee Eunhee finished in runners up spot on home soil in Korea. The duo suffered defeat at the hands of colleagues Park Youngsook and Yang Haeun.
Second Final
Meanwhile for Zhu Chengzhu, it was her second ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles final, the one prior appearance being the previous week in the Philippines, as it was for Doo Hoi Kem.
Partnering Lee Ho Ching, the duo reached the final earlier this year in Germany, losing to the host nation’s Shan Xiaona and Petrissa Solja.
First Final
It was for Ho Kwan Kit and Lam Siu Hang as it was for Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh, together or apart, their first ever ITTF World Tour Men’s Doubles final.
Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo By: Marcos Clark
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