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Chinese women lift team trophy, male paddlers reach final at Asian champs

Xinhua, April 11, 2017 Adjust font size:

All-time leading Chinese women's table tennis team claimed the first title on offer at the Asian Championships, while their counterparts of men's team reached the final here on Tuesday.

It has been the 17th time that China lifted the trophy of women's team at the continental tournmaent.

Four-time World Cup winner Liu Shiwen, who turns 26 years old Wednesday, opened the match in style, stumbled in the second set but came back to win 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 over Miu Hirano.

World No. 1 and Grand Slam winner Ding Ning followed up to beat Mima Ito 13-11, 11-7, 11-3 without breaking a drop of sweat, before the 2nd-ranked Zhu Yuling beat Hina Hayata 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8 to secure a top-podium finish for the team.

The Japanese teenage trio brought the greatest surprise of the day by trouncing the 39-year-old Kim Kyung Ah-led South Korea 3-0 in the morning's team semis.

"All three Japanese are just 17 years old," commented China's coach Kong Linghui. "They are young but experienced. With talents like these, Japan could be our main rivals for a long time."

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, the Chinese men's team proved too strong for their semifinal opponents, easing past Chinese Taipei with a three-straight-games victory to set up the final encounter against South Korea on Wednesday.

The sport's powerhouses, who nipped a 3-0 win over DPR Korea with an Olympic squad in the quarters, were in fast track Tuesday.

Fan Zhendong claimed an ideal start for China, beating Chen Chien-An 3-0, before captain and Grand Slam winner Ma Long overcame Liao Cheng-Ting by the same margin.

Zhang Jike, who was forced to pull out of the national trials a month ago due to an ankle injury, was the only Chinese troubled, losing the second set after taking the first with great efforts, leaving it open for an upset.

The 29-year-old world and Olympic champion, however, avoided any risks and came to the eventual victory 13-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8.

In the other semifinal, Kim Taek Soo guided South Korean paddlers Lee Sangsu, Jang Woojin and Jeong Sangeun to a three-nil victory over Japan's three, namely Kenta Matsudaira, Koki Niwa and Maharu Yoshimura.

Later in the evening, the mixed doubles event kicked off with two pairs from the hosts China Zhou Yu/Chen Xingtong and Fang Bo/Wang Manyu both made easy through to the last 16. Endit