Monday, November 26, 2007
11:09 PM
Pro Tour Grand Finals - Finalised Participants List
After the confirmation deadline, the final list of selected players has been established. Yang Zi was awarded the last place for the Men's Singles Event, as Korea's Oh Sang Eun has withdrawn from the competition due to injury.
Men's Singles
01- Ma Lin, CHN
02- Wang Hao, CHN
03- Ma Long, CHN
04- Wang Liqin, CHN
05- Chen Qi, CHN
06- Boll Timo, GER
07- Samsonov Vladimir, BLR
08- Gao Ning, SIN
09- Hao Shuai, CHN
10- Kan Yo, JPN
11- Li Ching, HKG
12- Ryu Seung Min, KOR
13- Tang Peng, HKG
14- Chuan Chih Yuan, TPE
15- Ovtcharov Dimitrij, GER
16- Yang Zi, SIN


Women's Singles
01- Guo Yue, CHN
02- Li Xiaoxia, CHN
03- Wang Nan, CHN
04- Zhang Yining, CHN
05- Guo Yan, CHN
06- Jiang Huajun, HKG
07- Li Jia Wei, SIN
08- Wang Yue Gu, SIN
09- Tie Yana, HKG
10- Hirano Sayaka, JPN
11- Lin Ling, HKG
12- Sun Bei Bei, SIN
13- Fukuhara Ai, JPN
14- Fukuoka Haruna, JPN
15- Feng Tianwei, SIN
16- Wu Jiaduo, GER


Men's Doubles
01- Gao Ning/Yang Zi, SIN
02- Ma Lin/Wang Hao, CHN
03- Ko Lai Chak/Li Ching, HKG
04- Lee Jung Woo/Cho Eon Rae, KOR
05- Chen Qi/Wang Liqin, CHN
06- Ryu Seung Min/Lee Jin Kwon, KOR
07- Hao Shuai/Ma Long, CHN
08- Ovtcharov Dimitrij/Suss Christian, GER


Women's Doubles
01- Guo Yue/Li Xiaoxia, CHN
02- Tie Yana/Zhang Rui, HKG
03- Kim Kyung Ah/Park Mi Young, KOR
04- Gao Jun, USA/Shen Yanfei, ESP
05- Li Jia Wei/Wang Yue Gu, SIN
06- Hirano Sayaka/ Fukuhara Ai, JPN
07- Lau Sui Fei/Lin Ling, HKG
08- Fukuoka Haruna/Tasei (Takahashi) Mikie, JPN


Under 21 Men's Singles
01- Cho Eon Rae, KOR
02- Matsudaira Kenta, JPN
03- Lebesson Emmanuel, FRA
04- Lee Jin Kwon, KOR
05- Gacina Andrej, HRV
06- Ma Liang, SIN
07- Apolonia Tiago, POR
08- Chiang Hung Chieh, TPE


U21 Women's Singles
01- Yu Meng Yu, SIN
02- Feng Tianwei, SIN
03- Li Qian, POL
04- Vacenovska Iveta, CZE
05- Barthel Zhenqi, GER
06- Dvorak Galia, ESP
07- Yu Kwok See, HKG
08- Jee Min Hyung, KOR
11:02 PM
24th SEA Games - Table Tennis Team
In a few days time, the Singapore Team will be heading over to Korat, Thailand for the 24th SEA Games. The participants are:
Team Manager - Antony Lee
Asst Team Manager - Eddy Tay
Coach - Liu Guodong
Coach - Chen Jian
Coach - Zhang Yong
Sparring Partner - Tang Hua

Men's Team
Gao Ning
Yang Zi
Cai Xiao Li
Jason Ho
Pang Xue Jie

Women's Team
Li Jia Wei
Wang Yue Gu
Sun Bei Bei
Tan Paey Fern
Yu Meng Yu

The team will be leaving on the 1st of December (Saturday) at Terminal 2 (SQ 972) at 10h40. The competition will start on the 2nd of December. Good luck to our Men's and Women's team in winning all 7 gold medals at stake.
6:58 AM
20th HTV Asian Cup - Wang Yue Gu win 2nd in Women's Singles, Li Jia Wei attain 5th position
The 2007 Hanoi TV Asia Cup went all the way to the wire here in Vietnam on the evening of the 25th November 2007. It was impossible to ever know who was on top as the momentum swayed back and forth. WANg Yue Gu had the lead for the majority of the match but HUANG would always manage to fight back to level things.

Then came the final game and one which produced a very high level of table tennis between the two top 10 World ranked players. Several rally's of blistering speed were played with JIANG with her powerful strokes all being returned by the ever consistent WANG. However at six all in the final set JIANG found some extra speed and her own consistency and with powerful strokes from both wings managed to win five very powerful points and take the match 11-6.
"Its been a tough month for most of the players with 3 Pro Tours all in Europe and to come back to play immediately in the Asia Cup has been mentally and Physically tough for us, so to win the the Asia Cup is a very wonderful bonus" JIANG said.

In the play off for 3rd place ISHIKAWA Kazumi could also go back to Japan a very happy young girl. At 14 years of age a 3rd place position at the World Cup is no doubt her best result of what will no doubt be a wonderful career. She defeated Korean CHO Ha La 3rd position play off.
5:19 AM
20th HTV Asian Cup - Gao Ning win Men's Singles Crown, Yang Zi attain 4th position
The final of the men's singles of the 2007 HTV Asia Cup between GAO Ning of Singapore and Kim Jun Hoon of Korea was relatively predictable as GAO made light work of the Korean. Although getting off to a low start GAO quickly turned up the Gas from the second set.

In fact he was in invincible form and gave Hoon absolutely no chance to get into the match after the first game. Although strong in the topspin to topspin rally's GAO was able to find weakness in the Korean's return of serve and also had trouble in dealing with GAO's return of service. There was only one glimmer of hope in the fifth game when the Korean fought back from two points to six down to level at 8 points each. A lucky ball for GAO at eight points each, another strong return of serve and a strong third ball attack saw GAO take the championship point to be crowned 2007 Asia Cup Champion.

Earlier in the day MIZUTANI Jun had defeated YANG Zi to take the 3rd position
Sunday, November 25, 2007
1:28 AM
20th HTV Asian Cup - Gao Ning just survives, Li Jia Wei Bows Out
In front of a large crowd in Hanoi there were all kinds of in interesting and exciting matches in the 8 Quarter Finals held here on the evening of the 24th of November.

Young Korean CHO Ha La was the first to provide a spectacle when she had Li Jia Wei from Singapore, the top seed, feeling not very comfortable right from the very beginning. In a fluctuating match where it was never very easy to see who had the upper hand CHO finally took the match in 7 games, the last two both by the narrowest of matches.

No doubt the most exciting match and perhaps most intriguing was the GAO Ning and ACHANTA Sharath Kamal quarter final showdown. As red hot favorite GAO, although very tight, lost the first 3 games and it looked the Indian Achanta would be through to the semi final. Then from nowhere in the 5th and 6th games GAO seemed to find the form that has seen him rise to number 11 in the world rankings and took them comfortbaly. However, it was the 6th game that was Amazing and one that ACHANTA will probably think back on many times, 7 match points and not able to capitalize any, losing eventually 21-19. In the final game GAO although never racing to a large lead always seemed to have control winning what one can only describe as one of the most fascinating come backs seen. A true credit to the top seed.

ISHIKAWA Kazumi and Jun Mizutani from Japan also booked their places in their respective semi finals with great wins. For Mizutani it is now maybe almost expected that he would reach such a level, but for the 14 year female ISHIKAWA to book a place in the semi final would have been a distant dream when entering the Asia Cup.

Tomorrow's Semi Finals in the men will see Singapore's GAO Ning and YANG Zi fight a final birth while in the bottom half JUN Mizutani from Japan will battle KIM Jung Hoon from Korea. In the Women's side Cho Ha La from Korea will meet WANG Yue Gu from Singapore while ISHIKAWA Kazumi from Japan while play Jang Hua Jun from Hong Kong.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
1:41 AM
ASIAN Cup - Singapore's Gao Ning and Li Jia Wei are the Top Seeds
Under the auspices of the Asian Table Tennis Union and the Vietnam Table Tennis Association this weekend host the 2007 HTV Asia Cup in the bustling city of Hanoi. The Asia Cup comprises 16 players from around the region.

The Asia Cup, an annual event, sees the winner of the event gain direct entry in the ITTF World Cup. The two World Cup Single’s Champions of 2007, Wang Hao Champion of the LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup in Barcelona Spain and WANG Nan Champion of the Volkswagen Women’s World Cup in Chengdu China both qualified via the last Asia Cup, help in India in 2006.

However, for the 2007 Asia Cup it will not be a Chinese victory. The 2007 event directly clashes with the Chinese National Championships currently being held in Wuxi, Zhejiang province in China. As a result the 2008 Asia Cup is arguably as wide open as it has been in many years.

Leading the way in the men will be the Singaporean Gao Ning, the highest World Ranked player here in action, currently ranked 11 in the November 2007 ITTF World Rankings. However, hot on his tail will be Japans Jun Mizutani, the youngster currently sits at 32 on the rankings. Singapore’s Yang Zi (World Ranking 38), Hong Kong’s Jian Tian Yi (World Ranking 50) and India’s Achanta Sharath Kamal (World Ranking 77) are the other major hopes to take the Title. Other athletes include: Phuchong Sanguansin (THA), Choi Hyun Jin (KOR), Kim Jung Hoon (KOR), Tsuboguchi Michikazu (JPN), Subhajit Saha (IND), Tse Ka Chun (HKG) and those that the loud crowd will be cheering on from Vietnam Doan Kien Quoc (VIE) and Nquyen Nam Hai (VIE).

In the Women’s event Singapore’s Li Jia Wei would normally be hot favorite to claim the title of Asia Cup Champion. However, the ITTF World Ranked number 6 has been having an up and down year and Hong Kong’s Jiang Hua Jun (World Ranked number 7) and Li’s compatriot Wang Yue Gu (World Ranked number 8) will be extremely tough opponents. In fact they are the top ranked players behind the mighty China who's players fill the top 5 rankings. Others vying for the title of Asian Cup Champion are Anisara Muangsuk (THA), Yu Kwok See (HKG), Aggarwal Neha (IND). Poulomi Ghatak (IND), Lee Eun Hee (KOR), Cho Ha La (KOR), Ishigaki Yoshihito (JPN), Ishikawa Kasumi (JPN) and local favorites Mai Hoang Trang (VIE) and Mai Xuan Hang (VIE).

Play gets under way on Saturday the 24th with four groups of four players, with the top two players to make it through to the knock out quarter final stage and the eventual winner to be decided in the evening of Sunday the 25th.
Monday, November 19, 2007
7:31 AM
2007 Good Luck Beijing Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals
The long anticipated 2007 Good Luck Beijing Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals Qualified Players list is finally out. China's Ma Lin and Guo Yue will the top seed for the Men's Singles and Women's Singles Event respectively. Singapore Li Jia Wei & Wang Yue Gu are 7th and 8th Seed whilst Sun Bei Bei is the 12th Seed. Singapore Feng Tian Wei having performed well in the Chinese Taipei Open also managed to qualify as the 15th Seed. In the Men's Singles Event, only Gao Ning managed to qualify, and he is the 9th Seed. Yang Zi is ranked 17th in the Pro Tour Standing.

In the Men's Doubles, Singapore powerful duo Gao Ning and Yang Zi are they top seed. However, the Top Seed for the Women's Doubles China Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia. Singapore's Li Jia Wei and Wang Yue Gu are the number 5th Seed. The pair made up of Li Jia Wei and Sun Bei Bei was unable to participate despite being ranked 6th in the Pro Tour Standing due to the pair Li and Wang being ranked higher than them.

In the U21 events, Singapore Ma Liang managed to qualify as the 6th Seed with Korea Cho Eon Rae as the top seed in the U21 Men's Singles Event. Singapore Yu Meng Yu and Feng Tian Wei are made the Top 2 seeds in the U21 Women's Singles Event.

Men's Singles
01- Ma Lin, CHN
02- Wang Hao, CHN
03- Ma Long, CHN
04- Wang Liqin, CHN
05- Chen Qi, CHN
06- Boll Timo, GER
07- Samsonov Vladimir, BLR
08- Oh Sang Eun, KOR
09- Gao Ning, SIN
10- Hao Shuai, CHN
11- Kan Yo, JPN
12- Li Ching, HKG
13- Ryu Seung Min, KOR
14- Tang Peng, HKG
15- Chuan Chih Yuan, TPE
16- Ovtcharov Dimitrij, GER

Alternate players
01- Yang Zi, SIN
02- Smirnov Alexei, RUS
03- He Zhi Wen, ESP
04- Mizutani Jun, JPN


Women's Singles
01- Guo Yue, CHN
02- Li Xiaoxia, CHN
03- Wang Nan, CHN
04- Zhang Yining, CHN
05- Guo Yan, CHN
06- Jiang Huajun, HKG
07- Li Jia Wei, SIN
08- Wang Yue Gu, SIN
09- Tie Yana, HKG
10- Hirano Sayaka, JPN
11- Lin Ling, HKG
12- Sun Bei Bei, SIN
13- Fukuhara Ai, JPN
14- Fukuoka Haruna, JPN
15- Feng Tianwei, SIN
16- Wu Jiaduo, GER
Alternate players
01- Kanazawa Saki, JPN
02- Zhang Rui, HKG
03- Kim Kyung Ah, KOR
04- Park Mi Young, KOR

Men's Doubles
01- Gao Ning/Yang Zi, SIN
02- Ma Lin/Wang Hao, CHN
03- Ko Lai Chak/Li Ching, HKG
04- Lee Jung Woo/Cho Eon Rae, KOR
05- Chen Qi/Wang Liqin, CHN
06- Ryu Seung Min/Lee Jin Kwon, KOR
07- Hao Shuai/Ma Long, CHN
08- Ovtcharov Dimitrij/Suss Christian, GER
Alternate pairs
01- Kishikawa Seiya/Mizutani Jun, JPN

Women's Doubles
01- Guo Yue/Li Xiaoxia, CHN
02- Tie Yana/Zhang Rui, HKG
03- Kim Kyung Ah/Park Mi Young, KOR
04- Gao Jun, USA/Shen Yanfei, ESP
05- Li Jia Wei/Wang Yue Gu, SIN
06- Hirano Sayaka/Kanazawa Saki, JPN
07- Fujinuma Ai/Fukuhara Ai, JPN
08- Lau Sui Fei/Lin Ling, HKG
Alternate pairs
01- Stefanova Nikoleta/Tan Monfardini Wenling, ITA

U21 Men's Singles
01- Cho Eon Rae, KOR
02- Matsudaira Kenta, JPN
03- Lebesson Emmanuel, FRA
04- Lee Jin Kwon, KOR
05- Gacina Andrej, HRV
06- Ma Liang, SIN
07- Apolonia Tiago, POR
08- Chiang Hung Chieh, TPE
Alternate players
01- Skachkov Kirill, RUS
02- Oya Hidetoshi, JPN
03- Baum Patrick, GER
04- Mattenet Adrien, FRA

U21 Women's Singles
01- Yu Meng Yu, SIN
02- Feng Tianwei, SIN
03- Li Qian, POL
04- Vacenovska Iveta, CZE
05- Barthel Zhenqi, GER
06- Dodean Daniela, ROU
07- Dvorak Galia, ESP
08- Yu Kwok See, HKG
Alternate players
01- Jee Min Hyung, KOR
02- Heine Veronika, AUT
03- Ma Ming Lu, SIN
04- Cheng I-Ching, TPE
1:28 AM
ITTF Pro Tour Swedish Open - Summary
Men's Singles
1st - WANG Hao (CHN)
2nd - MA Long (CHN)
3rd - MA Lin (CHN)
WANG Liqin (CHN)

Women's Singles
1st - LI Xiaoxia (CHN)
2nd - GUO Yan (CHN)
3rd - LI Jia Wei (SIN)
Guo Yue (CHN)

Men's Doubles
1st - MA Long / WANG Hao (CHN)
2nd - GAO Ning / YANG Zi (SIN)
3rd - HAKANSSON Fredrik / PERSSON Jorgen (SWE)
MA Lin / WANG Liqin (CHN)

Women's Doubles
1st - KIM Kyung Ah / PARK Mi Young (KOR)
2nd - FUKUOKA Haruna / HIRANO Sayaka (JPN)
3rd - CAO Zhen / GUO Yan (CHN)
DING Ning / LIU Shiwen (CHN)

U21 Men's Singles
1st - LEE Jin Kwon (KOR)
2nd - LEBESSON Emmanuel (FRA)
3rd - AKERSTROM Fabian (SWE)
YOKOYAMA Yuichi (JPN)

U21 Women's Singles
1st - FENG Tian Wei (SIN)
2nd - LI Qian (POL)
3rd - BARTHEL Zhenqi (GER)
DODEAN Daniela (ROU)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
6:21 AM
ITTF Pro Tour Swedish Open - Updates on Women's Singles
The top four seeds in the Women's Singles event at the Swedish Open in Stockholm emerged successful following the quarter-final matches on Saturday 17th November 2007. Guo Yue, Li Xiaoxia and Guo Yan of China plus Singapore's Li Jia Wei all won without any of the quartet needing to suffer the trials and tribulations of a deciding seventh game. Top seed Guo Yue beat Hungary's Krisztina Toth 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 whilst second seed, Li Xiaoxia, defeated Singapore's Sun Bei Bei 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6. Meanwhile, third seed Guo Yan overcame the latter's colleague, Wang Yue Gu and fourth seed, Li Jia Wei ended the hopes of Hong Kong's Jiang Huajun. Guo Yan won 11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 whilst Li Jia Wei prevailed 11-5, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7.

It was for both Guo Yue and Li Jia Wei a return to form after their defeats the previous week at the Liebherr German Open, when Guo Yue had departed in the third round losing to colleague Liu Shiwen and one round earlier; Li Jia Wei had suffered at the hands of Poland's Li Qian.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
5:43 AM
ITTF Pro Tour SWEDISH Open - Updates on Women's Singles
The top four seeds all came through the second round of the Women抯 Singles event at the Swedish Open in Stockholm on Friday 16th November 2007. Meanwhile, Singapore's Li Jia Wei and Poland's Li Qian met for the fourth time in the space of five weeks. Seeded one, China抯 Guo Yue beat the Korean defender Park Mi Young in four straight games whilst with the loss of just one game, the second seed, Li Xiaoxia overcame her sixteen year old compatriot, Liu Shiwen. Not to be outshone by her colleagues; third seed, Guo Yan defeated Romania's Daniela Dodean in straight games and Singapore's Li Jia Wei, seeded four overcame Poland's Li Qian.



It was the fourth time that Li Jia Wei and Li Qian had met in recent weeks in Women抯 Singles events on the ITTF Pro Tour. The two confronted each other in the second round in St Petersburg at the Eurosib Russian Open and in the same round two weeks later at the Liebherr French Open. On both occasions Li Jia Wei overcame the Polish backspin artist, on the first occasion in five games, on the second in seven. However, when the two met for a third time, again in the second round, at the Liebherr German Open it was Li Qian who prevailed. She won in six games.




Stung by the reverse Li Jia Wei was bent on redressing the balance in her favour when they confronted each other in Stockholm. She did, she duly succeeded in five games to book her place in round three.No casualties amongst the top four seeds but lower down there were earlier than anticipated departures.




Sucess for Li Jia Wei, there were also sucesses for the other Singaporeans. Hong Kong's Zhang Rui was beaten by Singapore's Yu Meng Yu. Sixth seed Singapore's Wang Yue Gu defeated China's Yao Yan. complete the line up Sun Bei Bei brought smiles to Singaporean face by completing the line up when she overcame Poland's Natalya Partyka.
Monday, November 5, 2007
11:06 AM
ITTF Pro Tour LIEBHERR French Open - Singapore won 1 Silver and 5 Bronzes!
Li Jia Wei and Wang Yue Gu, seeded four, reached the final of the Women's Doubles event at the Liebherr French Open in Toulouse following quarter and semi-final victories on Saturday 3rd November 2007. They accounted for Jia Jun and Zhang Yining in the quarter-finals before recording a semi-final victory over the Romanian teenage pairing of Daniela Dodean and Elizabeta Samara. However in the Finals, they were beaten by 2nd Seed, China's Guo Yan and Wang Nan.

Guo Yan and Wang Nan won 10-12, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6.

In the Women's Singles Event, reigning Olympic Women's Singles Champion, Zhang Yining, the number one seed, beat Singapore's Li Jia Wei, the number four seed; whilst Wang Nan, seeded two, overcame Li Jia Wei's national team compatriot and Women's Doubles partner in Toulouse, Wang Yue Gu.

Zhang Yining succeeded 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 whilst Wang Nan won 11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 11-3, 11-4.

Men's Doubles Gao Ning and Yang Zi clinched Bronze. They lost in a thrilling seven games encounter by the margin of 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 12-14, 8-11, 11-9 to Hong Kong's Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching, the Oylimpic Men's Doubles Silver Medalist.

Yu Meng Yu and Feng Tian Wei both awarded Bronze in the U21 Women's Singles Event. Yu Meng Yu lost to Poland's Li Qian while Feng Tian Wei lost to Germany's Solja Amelie.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
9:28 PM
World Ranking - November
In the latest published ITTF World Ranking, Singapore top female paddler Li Jia Wei, 2nd female paddler Wang Yue Gu and 3rd female paddler Sun Bei Bei, together with top male paddler Gao Ning all maintained their October World Ranking. Yang Zi having been ousted out in the 1st round in the Men's Singles Competition in the ITTF Eurosib Russian Open, St Petersburg, he drop from 32 to 38. Guo Yi Teng, Ma Liang and Liu Zhong Ze, all having performed well in the recent Pro Tours improved their World Ranking. Yi Teng is currently ranked 291, Ma Liang with a new ranking of 181 and Zhong Ze at 187.

In the new female world ranking list, Yu Meng Yu and Shan Xiao Na is given a wrold ranking of 52 and 54 respectively. Tan Paey Fern also improved her World Ranking by 8 positions and is currently ranked at 84.




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