A Positive Approach, the Guiding Principle for Lam Yee Lok

The leading players on duty in the qualification stage of the Girls’ Singles event at the 2013 ITTF World Junior Championships in Rabat, Morocco emerged successful in their opening contests on the morning of Thursday 5^th January.

However for Hong Kong’s Lam Yee Lok, the highest World ranked player on duty in the first phase of proceedings, there were problems. She had to recover from a three games to two deficit to emerge victorious.

She beat Brazil’s Karina Hayama in seven games (15-13, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-1, 11-2).

Presently Lam Yee Lok stands at no.45 on the Under 18 Girls’ World Ranking list, Karina Hayama, who won the Junior Girls’ Singles title at the Brazil Junior and Cadet Open in 2012, is named at no.214.

 “In the first five games I was too passive”, explained Lam Yee Lok. “She served half-long and instead of trying to attack and top spin the return of service I pushed the ball back negatively.”

After the fifth game, on the advice of Chan Kon Wah, the Hong Kong coach sitting courtside, Lam Yee Lok became much more positive and dominated the sixth and seventh games.

 “I found a way to play”, continued Lam Yee Lok. “I was more positive.”

More positive but Lam Yee Lok, as the highest World ranked player in the first phase of the Girls’ Singles event, was under pressure; to her credit she responded.

“It is the World Junior Championships”, concluded Lam Yee Lok. “I think it does not matter what you are ranked; everybody here is a good player.”

Success for Lam Yee Lok and it was success for the other leading players in their opening matches in the Girls’ Singles qualification stage but for not without some moments of stress.

Alina Arlouskaya of Belarus, the fifth highest rated player on duty, needed six games to bear Croatia’s Dorina Srebrnjak (12-10, 11-2, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-6), as did Laura Pfefer of France, the eighth listed against Serbia’s Ivana Vejnovic (12-14, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-3, 11-7).

However for the other notable names there were fewer difficulties.

Romania’s Irina Ciobanu beat Puerto Rico’s Daniely Rios (11-4, 11-7, 11-3, 11-7), China’s Wang Manyu accounted for Melanie Diaz, also from Puerto Rico; whilst Croatia’s Mateja Jeger overcame Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre (11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7).

Likewise, Korea’s Lee Zion beat Hong Kong’s Wong Chung Ting (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9) and Poland’s Sandra Wabik defeated Egypt’s Yousra Helmy (5-11, 15-13, 11-6, 11-8, 14-12).

Defeats but the door is still open for those who suffered in their opening matches; players finishing in first and second places in each of the 24 groups progress to the main draw where they join the 16 seeds in a first round of 64 players.

Video : Lam Yee Lok explains her recovery against Karina Hayama

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Rémy Gros