World No. 1 Liu into last four at China Open through seven-game thriller

Top-ranked paddler Liu Shiwen avoided an early exit from the ITTF World Tour China Open, edging past Zeng Jian of Singapore in the women's singles quarterfinals 4-3 here on Saturday.

It was Liu's second consecutive seven-game matchup after overcoming Japanese Marina Matsuzawa on Friday. The world No. 1 won the game at 10-12, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5.

"Physically, I was not 100 percent. I planned to dominate the match from the start, but unfortunately, I found that I was not totally fit for the game," said Liu.

Facing a dilemma at 3-0 down, Liu decided to change her tactics for one more attempt to win.

"Then I changed the rhythm of the match, and I felt that I finally won with my experience," commented Liu.

Liu also felt the challenge from Japanese and Singaporean youngsters, especially tough matches against Matsuzawa and Zeng.

"It's normal. During a new Olympic span, many young talents always emerge and pose much challenge to us. For myself, it's important to keep improving, and not just rely on what I already have.

"Zeng is a tough opponent, and plays much aggressively at the beginning. Leading 3-0, she may think too much about the victory, so I need to come back into the game little by little," she said.

Wasting a three-game lead, Zeng could not hide her disappointment in the mixed zone.

"I just played to myself and tried to challenge the opponent in the opening three games, but I could not make a good response after she changed the tactics in the fourth," said the tournament's under-21 singles champion. Endit