Wednesday, July 29, 2009
10:58 AM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Paddlers Back in the International Arena
Singapore National Team paddlers will be back on the international stage after going missing for 2 months. Our Men's Team will be represented by Gao Ning, Yang Zi, Ma Liang and Liu Zhong Ze. On the other hand, our female team will comprise of World No. 7 Feng Tianwei, Wang Yue Gu, Yu Meng Yu, Sun Bei Bei and Sim Kai Xin Zena. Our paddlers will be hoping to make a breakthrough in this tournament, after performing below expectations in many Pro Tour this year. The are some more reasons why our paddlers should do well, since China will not be sending some of her best players. World No. 1 in the Men's and Women's Singles Rankng, Wang Hao and Zhang Yining will be absent from the competition. China's Olympic Women's Singles Bronze Medalist Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia will also give the competition a miss.

In the Men's Singles Event, Gao Ning is the 16th Seed and Yang Zi is the 28th Seed. Ma Liang and Liu Zhong Ze will have to compete in the qualifying stage. Meanwhile, Feng Tianwei is the 3rd Seed in her event. The other 3 of the Top 4 Seeds all hail from China. The most experienced Wang Yue Gu is the 6th seed and Yu meng Yu being the 16th Seed. Sun Bei Bei is 2 places behind, Seeded No. 18. Zena Sim will have to play in the Qualifying Round.
Monday, July 27, 2009
10:49 AM
ASIAN Junior Championships - 2 Bronze for Our Youth Team
Singapore's grab the Bronze Medal in both the Junior Boys' Doubles and Cadet Girls' Singles Events! In the Semi Finals, Pang Xue Jie/Lim Jie Yan faltered against the South Koreans Kim Min Seok/Seo Jung Seo. The players from the Republic of Korea played at a higher level than our boys. Despite much struggle from our boys, they lost 11-6, 11-8 in the 1st 2 sets. Our boys were not prepared to give up in the 3rd set either, fighting to the very last end. They showed sheer determination and a high standard of play, but were still beaten by their opponents. Our boys lost by the smallest margin of 11-9 in the last game.

Meanwhile, Isabelle managed to overcome India's Bhandarkar Mallika Srirang for the 2nd time this month to secure another Bronze for the republic. She won 4-1 (13-11, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10). However, good time did not last. The 4th seed is failed to notch a win from another Japanese defender, Maeda Miyu. The 2nd Seed had a tough match playing to the full 7 games distance. Ultimately, the Japanese lady prevailed. She won 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 5-11.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
5:11 AM
ASIAN Junior Championships - Xue Jie, Jie Yan & Isabelle in Promising Positions
Singapore will not return home empty handed after Pang Xue Jie and Lim Jie Yan beat 2nd Seeds Japan's Niwa Koki/Ueda Jin in the Quarter Finals. Along the way, Xue Jie/Jie Yan defeated players from Maldives and Iran. It was an exciting 7 games triller against the Japanese. The Singaporeans got off to a good start by clinching the 1st set 11-8. However, they begin to make some unforced error in the 2nd set, losing 11-9. The pair came back to take the 3rd game, 11-6. But the Japanese showed sheer determination to level the score at 2-all. Pang and Lim kept their cool to take the last set, winning 12-10. The pair will be taking on South Koreans today. The winner will at least walk away with a Silver Medal.

Another Singaporean pair, Chong Hur Ying Darren/Teo Yi De Benjamin fell against the Iran. They lost in straight games.

Meanwhile, our paddlers failed to progress in the other 5 events. In the Junior Boys' Singles event, only Pang Xue Jie manages to qualify for the Main Draw after defeating 3 other opponent to appear top in his group. However, his progress is hindered by South Korean, Jung Young Sik. He lost 4-1. The other paddlers who perished in the group stage are Lim Jie Yan, Teo Yi De Benjamin and Chong Hur Ying Darren.

In the Junior Girls Event, none of them made it to the Main Draw. Wong Xiwen Samantha fell short against Che Xiao Xi from China, missing the qualification by 1 place. Kwa Hui Qi is another victim by Chinese Sheng Dandan. She is ranked 3rd in the group. Look Pei Yee Sylvia and Chng Rui Min are ranked 3rd in the group as well. Sylvia faltered against table tennis powerhouse South and North Korea.

In the Cadet Boys' Event, Tan Kiat Yi Kerry, Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Chau Jia Liang missed the qualification to stronger opponents. Kerry was no match against Hong Kong's Chiu Chung Hei while Jia Liang was defeated by Lam Siu Hang, also from Hong Kong. The 10th Seed, Clarence suffered under a Thailand native to appear 2nd in the group.

The Cadet Girls' Event is another event that our paddlers manage to qualify for the Main Draw. Li Siyun Isabelle played her game which much patience, defeating players from India, Thailand and Nepal. She will be taking on India's Bhandarkar Mallika Srirang, someone whom she defeated during the Asian Youth Games.

Our Junior Girls failed to perform in the Girls' Doubles Event as well. Despite defeating Hong Kong's Ng Wing Nam/Mo Hei Shim in the 2nd round of the Main Draw, Li Siyun Isabelle/Look Pei Yee Sylvia lost to Top Seeds, Chinese Taipei's Cheng I-Ching/Chen Szu Yu in the Quarter Finals, missing out the medal. Kwa Hui Qi/Chng Hui Min fell against the mighty Chinese in the 2nd round after notching a win from the host nation. They lost to Cao Lisi/Sheng Dandan in straight games.

Pang Xue Jie/Lim Jie Yan and Isabelle Li are our only medal hopes felt in the competition.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
6:12 AM
ASIAN Junior Championships - 9th Position for Both Junior Boys and Girls
In the decisive 9th and 10th placing match, our junior paddlers kept their cool to beat their opponents with a convincing margin to clinch the 9th place in the Junior Boys' and Girls' Team Event.

Chong Hur Ying Darren gave Singapore the perfect start against Pakistan. He crashed Virk Salman Ahmad Tahir in straight games to grab the 1st point for the team. Pang Xue Jie extended the lead by defeating Ayub Sheikh Waqas, 3-1. However, when everyone thought that victory was already in our hands, Lim Jie Yan lost to Rameez Muhammad, 3-0. In the 4th match against Virk Salman Ahmad Tahir, Xue Ji was in ungorgiving mood. He swept his opponent 3-0, clinching the most critical point in the match. Thereby, our paddlers were placed 9th out of 13 teams.

The female counterparts did well to clinch the 9th position as well. Kwa Hui Qi and Look Pei Yee Sylvia won the 1st 2 match beating Khusseinova Gulchekhra and Kharechko Margarita respectively in the match against host nation. Both won 3-1. However, matters changed in the 3rd match, where Chng Rui Min lost to Timchenko Alexandra. She lost each set by the smallest margin of 2 points difference! Sylvia Look then brought matters to a close in the 4th match, when she defeated Khusseinova Gulchekhra in straight games.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
10:44 PM
ASIAN Junior Championships - Team Event Medal Hopes Dashed
Singapore failed to qualify for the 2nd stage in the Team Events. Our Junior Boys and Cadet Girls are ranked 4th in Group A and B in the respective events, missing the qualification by only 1 place. On the other hand, the Cadet Boys Team having lost all their matches, is placed last in Group B. Nevertheless, the Junior Boys and Girls will still be competing for a position in the competition. The Junior Boys' and Girls' Team will receive a walkover in the 1st round. Their next opponents are likely to be Bahrain and Kazakhstan respectively.
9:04 AM
ASIAN Junior Championships - Youth Paddlers in Rocky Positions
Singapore Cadet Boys' Team suffered two defeats in a row, and is currently ranked last in the Team. On the other hand, our Junior Boys, Junior Girls and Cadet Girls enjoyed 1 win each, ranking in the middle of the group.

The Cadet Boys, comprising of Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, Tan Kiat Yi Kerry and Chau Jia Liang suffered at the hands of Chinese Taipei. Earlier, they lost to Sri Lanka 3-2. Representing the republic in the 1st Singles match, Kerry lost to his opponent, Lu Po Hsein 3-1 after winning the 1st set. Clarence was then defeated by Lee Chia Sheng 3-2. In the critical doubles match, Jia Liang paired with Clarence, but they were no match against Lu Po Hsein/Lee Chia Sheng. Their opponents today are South Korea and host nation India.

Meanwhile, the Junior Boys, who lost their first match against Japan, picked themselves up and defeated Kazakhastan, 3-1. Pang Xue Jie contributed 2 points to the team and Teo Yi De Benjamin securing the victory for us. However, their good fortune did not last. In their last match of the day,they fell short against Iran, losing 3-2. The 2 points came from Pang Xue Jie and Benjamin in the 2nd and 3rd game respectively.

In the Junior Girls' Team Event, our girls were unable to continue the form they had in the morning, losing in straight games to Chinese Taipei. The Cadet Girls suffered the same fate. Against the stronger South Korean Team, our paddlers had no choice but to admit defeat. South Korea fielded U15 World No. 1 Yang Ha Eun to beat Lam Teng Si. Li Siyun Isabelle then lost to Kang Ha Neul with another 3-0 margin. In the critical doubles match, Li and Lam were no match against Yang Ha Eun and Lee Da Som. Once again, they lost 3-0.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
9:34 PM
ASIAN Junior Championships - Success for Female Counterparts
In the opening day of the Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships, our female teenagers tasted the fruit of success, but our male counterparts were no match against stronger adversary. In the Boys' Junior Team Event, our Boys are drawn into group A together with Japan, Iran, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan and Pakistan. Our Junior Girls are also drawn into Group A together with Japan, Chinese Taipei, North Korea and Sri Lanka. Our Cadet Boys' Team is in Group B. They will be playing round robin with South Korea, Chinese Taipei, India and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, our Cadet Girls will be facing powerhouse China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan in Group A. In each group, only the Top 3 will advance to the Knock-Out stage.

Our Junior and Cadet Boys were unable to deliver results today. Competing with Top Seeds Japan in their first group match, they faltered 3-0. U15 World No. 3 Niwa Koki showed no mercy to Hwa Chong Institution Student Lim Jie Yan. Lim lost 11-7, 11-2, 12-10. Pang Xue Jie, the most experienced and skillful in the team was no match against Ueda Jin. Pang lost 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5. The deciding 3rd match was in Darren Chong Hur Ying's hands. However, his opponent proved to be better defeating Darren 13-11, 11-3, 11-5.

The Cadet Boys were represented by Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, Tan Kiat Yi Kerry and another Youth Olympics Team Chau Jia Liang. Against the relatively weaker Sri Lanka, our paddlers lost by the faintest margin of 3-2, despite 2 points from Clarence. In the first set, Clarence start the team off with a 3-2 win. However, Kerry was unable to keep up with the momentum. He lost the next point with a margin of 3-1, allowing Sri Lanka to level the score. The pairing of Chau and Kerry was unable to secure points for the team either. They lost 3-2. In the 4th match, Clarence leveled the score at 2-all after a 3-1 win over his opponent. In the last match, Kerry was unable to finish off his opponent. He faltered 3-1. Our boys will be continuing to fight hard for a qualification place in the 2nd stage.

On the other hand, our female paddlers enjoyed much better fortunes. In the Junior Girls' Team event, our team comprising Look Pei Yee Sylvia, Kwa Hui Qi and Chng Rui Min crashed all their opponents in straight games, clinching a 3-0 victory against Sri Lanka. The Cadet Girls' Team Event is represented by Li Siyun Isabelle and Lam Teng Si, both from the Youth Olympic Team. They were in no forgiving mood either, ousting out their Sri Lanka opponents by the same margin of 3-0!

Later today, our Junior Boys and Cadet Boys will be taking on Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei respectively. The Junior and Cadet Girls will be facing Chinese Taipei and South Korea respectively.
Friday, July 10, 2009
4:42 PM
SEA Junior Table Tennis Championships - Youth Paddlers Returns with a U18 Girls' Singles Gold!
Our youth paddlers returned with one Gold from the Southeast Asia Table Tennis Championships which ended last month. Before the competition, many thought that our youth paddlers can do even better than previous years. Nevertheless, our paddlers did put in much effort and determination to win a medal in most events.

In the Boys' and Girls' Team event, our paddlers fell short to Vietnam and Thailand in the Finals to settle for Silver. Singapore trio of Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, Pang Xue Jie and Lim Jie Yan put up a good fight but lost by the smallest margin of 3-2. Taking the lead is Clarence, who took on Vietnam's Dao Duy Hoang. He lost 11-9, 11-8, 11-8. However, Pang Xue Jie went up and leveled the score with a win over To Duc Hoang by the same margin. Lim Jie Yan was unable to establish a lead, losing to Nguyen Huu Duc by another 3-0 margin. Playing the role of the hero, once again, Pang leveled the score at 2-all after an intensive match with Dao Duy Hoang. each set was won with only 2 points. The burden is now on Clarence to clinch the last point for Singapore. At 2-0 down, he fought hard to win the 3rd set before faltering 3-1.

Our Girls' Team, represented by the Gold and Silver Medalist of last year's U15 Girls' Singles Look Pei Yee and Li Siyun Isabelle, as well as Kwa Hui Qi faltered against the host nation in the finals. Sylvia got us to a rocky start by losing the first match to Sawettabut Suthasini in 4 games. The defensive style of Isabelle proved not to be the liking of her Vietnamese opponent. She beat Thongsub Laksika in straight games to level the game. Kwa Hui Qi, despite fighting till the very last, she lost 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7. Once again, Singapore fielded Isabelle, hoping that she can win another point for us. Sawettabut Suthasini proved to be the better player. She beat Isabelle in 4 games.

Our Boys' Team was unable to recover from their lost. Once again, hey failed to perform in the U18 Boys' Singles Event. They lost the Top 4 positions to Vietnam and Thailand players. On the other hand, in the Girls' U18 Singles, Singapore won both the Gold and Silver after beating Thailand and Malaysia in the Semi-Finals. In the Finals, the Raffles Girls Player Look Pei Yee defeat Kwa Hui Qi to win Gold! Pity to note that it is our Team's only Gold Medal.

In the U15 events, Youth Olypian Hopefuls, Clarence Chew and Isabelle each clinch a Bronze Medal for the Nation. Clarence also joined hands with Tan Kiat Yi Kerry to win a Silver Medal in the U15 Boys' Doubles Event. In the U15 Girls' Doubles Event, Isabelle partnered another paddler from the Youth Olympic Team to add a Bronze to Singapore's Medal Tally.

Our Boys' performed well in the U18 Doubles Event as well. Xue Jie and Jie Yan clinch another Silver Medal. However, our Girls' Doubles, the pairing of Sylvia and Hui Qi settled for Bronze. The Mixed Doubles event is only other event that our youths returned with 2 medals. Lim Jie Yan partnered Kwa Hui Qi to win Silver after losing to Vietnamese in the Final. Clarence and Sylvia settled for a Bronze.

Our players will be heading to India later in the month to compete in the 15th ASIAN Table Tennis Championships, where their opponents will be much stronger.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
9:54 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Heartbreak for Isabelle
Singapore came close to winning a Bronze in Table Tennis once again, but Isabelle Li lost in the quarter-finals of the girls' singles event. In a tough 50-minute battle that went for seven long games, Isabelle exhausted her energies and ideas but was still unable to taste victory.

In the opening game, Isabelle got off to a shaky start allowing Kim a 3-0 lead. Isabelle only started responding to Kim’s attacks when she was 5-7 down and leveled up 7-7. Isabelle and Kim then exchanged the lead twice before Isabelle wrapped up the first game 11-9.

Despite having a one-game advantage, Isabelle fell into an erratic mode and committed too many mistakes to give Kim a 7-1 run in the second game. Isabelle attempted to crawl back into the game but was not enough to stop Kim from finishing her off with a score of 11-7.

The climax of the match arrived in the third game when Isabelle had taken a convincing 10-4 lead, but Kim then miraculously scored 8 consecutive points to turn the table around to steal the game from Isabelle.

In the 4th game, Isabelle maintained her cool to take the set, 11-8. Isabelle, however, seemed to have lost her concentration in the fifth game as Kim polished her off 3-11 with a mere 3 minute 35 seconds. Kim showed her eagerness to finish off the match as she went into the sixth game in full offensive mode, but it was Isabelle who impressed the crowd with her ability to attack and defend well under pressure to take the game 11-8 and leveled the tie up once again, 3-3.

The match was tied 3-3 before the Korean went on to win the final set 11-7. A costly slip while trying the retrieve the ball in the seventh and final set of the Table Tennis Girls' Singles Quarter-finals proved to be the downfall for Singaporen paddler.

Earlier in her round of 16 game against Iran’s Rahman Mohammad Pour Soulmaz, who was cheered on by an army of supporters comprising of her team mates and officials, Isabelle breezed through the match winning in three games of 11-4.
1:05 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Another Victim of the Mighty Chinese
The boys’ singles representatives of Clarence Chew Zhe Yu and Tay Jit Kiat were first to fall by the wayside in the round of 16 in the morning. Clarence Chew was the underdog in his round of 16 match against the top world junior, Yin Hang, from China. Though the Singaporean was not expected to pose a threat to the Chinese, but he did give it all and took a set off the U15 World No. 1.

Clarence was ousted narrowly 8-11 in the first game, but the pair was leveled 8-8 before Yin Hang broke away to take the set. Clarence then stole the second set from the Chinese after forcing Yin Hang to commit errors when they were tied 9-9 and gave away the game, 11-9.

Yin Hang, however, came back strongly in the next two games to beat Clarence 11-3 and 11-5 with skillful displays. Both players were catching each other off-guard with a series of fast smashes, but only Yin Hang was claiming points from those exchanges to nick the win.

Tay Jit Kiat then went up against Iran’s unheralded 15-year-old Alireza Molarajabi, who had confidence written all over his face, even though Jit Kiat was backed by a strong crowd of Singapore supporters. Jit Kiat put up a good display in the first game to recover from 3-7 down narrowing the deficit to just a point before surrendering 8-11.

Hopes were raised in the second game when Jit Kiat took the lead at 4-1, but he was quickly overwhelmed and lost the remaining two games 7-11 and 8-11.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
9:34 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Chau fell to China's Chen Meng
Li Siyun Isabelle, Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Tay Jit Kiat have progressed to the round of 16 in the Singles Event, but Chau Hai Qing fell short to China’s Chen Meng.

In the Girls Singles’ Event, Isabelle Li defeated Sri Lanka’s Kavindi Rukmali Sahabandu in 3 straight games 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 to set up a round of 16 match against Iran’s Rahman Mohammai tomorrow. However, compatriot Chau Hai Qing fell to the U15 World No.1 Chen Meng 3-11, 9-11, 5-11. Despite the defeat, Chau felt that it is her honour to play against such a fine player and she is satisfied with her game.

In the Boys' Singles Event, Clarence Chew kept his cool throughout his match against Macau’s Chao Long Hong, to win 3-0. In the 1st set, Clarence establish a 7-0 lead before winning 11-5. Although Long Hong increases his smashes in the beginning of the 2nd round, it was to no avail. Clarence won once again with a score of 11-8. Clarence then took the last game 11-5. He will be facing Top Seed, China's Yin Hang tomorrow.

Tay Jit Kiat, who was unseeded and had to play in the round of 64 to progress. In the first round, Jit Kiat defeated Kuwait’s Almkeemy O R Abdulla 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 in an emotionally charged match. Then later in the round of 32, Jit Kiat took another 4 games to tame Bahrain’s Loay Muawadh in scores of 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8. Tomorrow, Tay will face-off Iran’s Alireza Molarajabi.
12:54 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Singapore Mxed Doubles Bronze Medal Hope Shatters
Japanese aces Asuka Machi and Rika Suzuki pulled off a stunning win against Singapore's Clarence Chew and Isabelle Li in the Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals on at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall.

Coming into the Quarter-finals, Chew and Li had been in imperious form, winning their Round of 32 and 16 match-ups convincingly. They came undone against the Japanese though, losing 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 6-11 to crash out of the Mixed Doubles event. The paddlers had met earlier last week in a practice match, which Singapore won 3-0. This time round, the tables were turned on them as the Japanese dominated the match, causing Clarence and Isabelle to commit unforced errors.

In the first game, Singapore went ahead 2-0 but struggled to maintain their momentum. Rika and Asuka set up a series of exciting rallies with powerful smashes, which gain them many points. They won 7-11. However, Singapore stormed back to win the second game 11-4 to put them back into contention for a spot in the semi-finals. The Japanese remained calm. They continued to use their powerful forehand smashes which caught Clarence and Isabelle off guard at times. The Japanese duo won 9-11.

Still fighting hard for a place in the Semi-Finals, our youth paddlers built a 6-3 lead. However, they were unable to continue the lead for long. Rika and Asuka played error free to win the next 8 points, booking their place in the Semi-Finals.

The Coach felt that the key turning point of the match came in the third set but the players were unable to capitalise when the scores were locked at 9-8. Clarence's and Isabelle's combination play today was also not up to par.

Singapore will be focusing on their Singles which will be played later in the afternoon.
Friday, July 3, 2009
10:27 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Paddlers Hope for another Bronze medal
The Mixed Doubles Event also commenced today. Li Siyun Isabelle/Chew Zhe Yu Clarence charge all the way into the Quarter Finals awaiting the 4th Seeds, Japan's Machi Asuka/Suzuki Rika. Along the way, they defeated Mongolia's Samdan Baasankhuu/Chinbat Saruulsaikhan by a convincing score of 3-0 and South Koreans Jang Woo Jin/Lee Da Som with a margin of 3-1.

Clarence and Isabelle took a mere 10 mins to beat the Mongolians. The Mongolian pair had too many unforced errors, while their Singaporean opponents delivered every ball carefully to finish the game off quickly.

Against the Koreans, Isabelle and Clarence did not have a good start to the tie. They took a 8-5 lead before Isabelle and Clarence levelled at 8 all. However, Li and Chew failed to hold on till the last, allowing the opponents to regain the lead and eventually win the set 11-9. In the next game, the Singaporean Paddlers turned the tables around, winning 11-9 with Clarence's smashes proving to be the deciding factor. Despite lagging 5-1 in the 3rd set, Singapore quickly levelled the game eventually wrapped the set up 11-7. They went on to win the last set 11-8.

However, the left handed pairing of Tay Jit Kai/Chau Hai Qing could not share their success. They were ousted out by the Vietnamese Le Tuan Anh/Nguyen Thi in the 1st round. They fought hard, but suffered 3-1 defeat in the end.

The Boys' and Girls' Event will commence tomorrow. In the 1st round, Clarence will enjoy a walkover. His opponent in the 2nd round is likely to be Macao's Chao Long Hong. His progress is likely to be hindered by his 3rd round opponent, Top Seed and China's Yin Hang. On the other hand, Tay Jit Kai who do not have a World Ranking have to compete in the 1st round against Kuwait's Almkeemy O R Abdul. His next opponent is likely to be Bahrain's Muawadh Loay.

In the Girls' Singles Event, Li Siyun Isabelle is the is the 4th Seed. Similarly, she will receive a walkover in the 1st round. She is drawn into the same half draw as South Korea's Yang Ha Eun. Someone whom she dread meeting as Yang has a liking for defenders. Although Chau Hai Qing may receive a walkover in the 1st round, her 2nd match is against Top Seed and U15 World No. 1, Chen Meng.
9:51 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Bronze for Singapore
Our youths settled for a bronze medal in the Asian Youth Games table tennis competition, after faltering against Top Seeds, China, in the Semi-finals of the mixed team on Friday evening.

China's Chen Meng whipped Isabelle Li in straight sets, winning 3-0. Chen took an early 2-0 lead in the first set before Isabelle fought back and led 4-3, her first lead of the game. The Singaporean widened her advantage to 9-6, but Chen staged a furious comeback to win the set 11-9. In the second set, Chen took the lead from the first point and never gave Isabelle a hope of winning the set, which went 11-7 to the Chinese national. Chen then built up a strong 8-3 lead in the third, and though Isabelle managed to return her opponent’s shots, she failed to prevent Chen from wrapping up the set 11-8.

However Clarence Chew salvaged some pride for Singapore by winning one set although he eventually lost 1-3 to Cheng Jing Qi. In the first set, Clarence answered Cheng’s early 3-0 lead with 3 straight of his own, but this was the closest that Clarence could get, as his opponent finished strongly to take the set 11-8. An 8-3 second set lead set Clarence up for an eventual 11-7 win, but the Singapore player could not find his way round Cheng’s aggressive attack, and he conceded the 3rd and 4th sets 4-11, 6-11.

Despite the defeat, the Singapore players were happy with their performance. Isabelle said that overall she think she played quite well, but she think she attacked too much at the end. However, Coach Xu felt that the players had a chance to win, but did not cherish it.

Earlier on, in front of a 200-strong crowd at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall, the Republic's Isabelle Li opened proceedings with a 3-1 win over Mallika Bhandarkar. There were long rallies between both players, as they exchanged returns and waited for the other to make mistakes. Sure enough, points were earned by both sides when Mallika and Isabelle each made swift shots, catching the other off-guard. Mallika took a different approach, she is patient and mostly stayed close to the table, choosing to stretch her arms out to receive the shots from Isabelle. However, Isabelle proved why she is World No. 8 when she wrapped the first 2 sets up with a comfortable score of 11-3 in both games. However, she lost her focus in the third set and was trailing all the way after securing the opening point. Mallika won the set 11-9. Isabelle came back in the fourth game, but not without a fight from Mallika. The supporters were given a scare when Mallika suddenly chalked up 5 straight points to make the score 8-7. From then on, Isabelle did not give Mallika any chance snd won the game 11-7.

Then, fellow Singapore Sports School student Clarence Chew defeated Arnab Adhikari with another 3-0 margin to ensure a deciding mixed doubles tie was not required. Clarence constantly altered his shot direction, and that forced his opponent to stretch from one end of the table to another. Clarence won the first 2 sets 11-7, 11-4. The third game was marred with confusion during the fifth service. Clarence had hit the ball out, but it was not certain whether the ball had touched the table before going wide. Clarence was about to be given the point as the assistant umpire indicated that the ball had indeed hit the edge of the table before going out. However, Arnab protested against the decision, along with his coach from the sidelines. The umpire then ruled that the point would be replayed. Another commotion came up in the dying seconds of the game when Clarence was 10-9 up. Singapore’s Coach, Xu Xiang Dong, tried to called for a time-out to give Clarence some advice for the crucial final point. The umpires failed to hear his request and allowed the match to go on. Clarence proceeded to lost the point, sending the game into a deuce at 10-10. Coach Xu finally got his request then, and with that, Clarence stormed home to clinch the final 2 points, winning the game 12-10.

The other bronze in the event went to Chinese Taipei players who lost to North Korea.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
11:57 PM
July World Ranking - Yue Gu out of Top 10 as China Dominate World Ranking
Once again, it is good bye to Top 10 for Wang Yue Gu as her World Ranking falls from no.9 to no.11. Replacing her in the Top 10 is China's Ding Ning. Meanwhile, Liu Shiwen overtake Feng Tianwei and Guo Yan to make the most notable progress in the highest echelons of the Women’s World Rankings. She is now at no. 4, while Feng Tianwei is being pushed down to 7th. Li Jia Wei is now no.12. Sun Bei Bei also suffered a drop in her World Ranking. She is now at 32nd. Sports School Graduate Sim Kai Xin Zena and Junior Li Siyun Isabelle were not spared either. They are currently at 320 and 360 in that order. On a lighter note, Yu Meng Yu, the lady who cause an upset against China's Guo Yan, improved her World Ranking by 3 places to 29.

However our Men's Team all suffered a dip in their World Ranking. Gao Ning and Yang Zi is at 27th and 57th respectively. Cai Xiao Li, Ma Liang and Liu Zhong Ze are at 156, 136 and 186 in that order. Youth paddlers Pang Xue Jie and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence were victims as well. Xue Jie is ranked no. 551 and Clarence at 1379.

In the U15 World Ranking, Isabelle continue to be ranked at no. 8, while Clarence is at 164. Previously, he was ranked no. 148.
9:44 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - 2 Points from Isabelle Secure Top Spot for Singapore
The Singapore Table Tennis team secured top spot in Group D with 8 points, courtesy of an exhilarating win against fellow group rivals Hong Kong, China.

Isabelle Li Siyun and Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, the stars of the first day, had to weather intense pressure during their Mixed Doubles match against the Hong Kong pair of Chiu Cheung Hei and Li Ching Wan. Earlier on, Li took a 3-0 win over Ng Ka Yee, someone who denied her of a medal in the 2009 Bahrain Junior Open. However, Clarence had lost to Chiu earlier in the Boys' Singles match. Thankfully, both Li and Chew kept their wits to prevail 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 and clinch a 2-1 win.

In their last match against Kuwait, Singapore was dominant. Once again, Isabelle gave Singapore the lead by defeating Alammar KH F Maha in straight games. Clarence then secured victory by overcoming Almkeemy O R Abdulla by the same margin. In the last Doubles Match, Singapore fielded 2 left handed players, Tay Jit Kai and Chau Hai Qing, instead of the usual Isabelle and Clarence. They did not disappoint as well. Tay and Chau beat Alemjadidiel A A S Aisha/Albanai A J Meshari with another 3-0.

The team will play against India tomorrow in the 2nd Stage at 0900 hours. Chances of winning is quite high, and a Bronze Medal could well be in our paddlers' pocket. However, our players will have to upset hot favourites, China, in the Semi-Finals to fight for Gold at 1700 hours.


Matches tomorrow includes the Mixed Doubles Event as well. Isabelle will pair with Clarence whilst Tay Jit Kai will partner Chau Hai Qing. Isabelle/Clarence 1st opponent is Samdan Baasankhuu/Chinbat Saruulsaikhan, but they will have to take on South Koreans in the next round. Tay/Chau are not any luckier. Their 1st match is against Vietnamese Le Tuan Anh/Nguyen Thi. South Koreans will then be awaiting for them in the next round.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
11:15 PM
ASIAN Youth Games - Singapore and Hong Kong Taking the Lead
Singapore started the Table Tennis competition on a bright note, attaining 2 wins out of 2 games played to top Group D alongside with Hong Kong, China. Philippines and Kuwait are still in with a shout, but the highlight of the day was definitely our local paddlers' remarkable comeback in the face of adversity.

Singapore's matches against Philippines and Nepal were put on hold briefly, as members of the team were feared to have come into contact with a H1N1 infected case. In a statement, the Singapore Asian Youth Games Organising Committee (SAYGOC) said the decision was made to postpone the matches as two male players on the Singapore team were identified on Tuesday night as potentially having been in contact with a confirmed H1N1 flu case. Subsequent inquiry confirmed that the fears were unfounded, and Singapore's matches were allowed to commence late in the evening.

A member of the Singapore national youth team, who competed with the paddlers at the Southeast Asian Junior table tennis championships in Bangkok last week, was diagnosed with H1N1 flu on Sunday and contact tracing was conducted.

The incident hardly seemed to affect their play, as they dispatched both their opponents with aplomb. Li Siyun Isabelle and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence won their singles and mixed doubles without losing a set for any matches, and look well on course to secure their passage into the 2nd stage.

In their 1st game against the Philippines, Li took the 1st point from Ian Lariba, who obviously couldn't get use of the girl's defensive style of play. Li won 11-5, 11-2, 11-1. Clarence Chew, whose style of play was the exact opposite of Li's, was not in forgiving mood neither. He defeated Val Stephen Jaca 11-3, 11-6, 11-6. The duo then combine to secure the last point of the team.

The players continued their form in the 2nd match against Nepal. Once again, Isabelle took the 1st point for Singapore by beating Maharjan Elina, 11-2, 11-3, 12-10. Clarence earned the 2nd point with another win against Roka Pradip. He won 11-9, 11-7, 11-7. Although there is a difference in the styles of play between Isabelle and Clarence, but it doesn't seem to pose any problems to them. They won their doubles match, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4.

The players will be facing Kuwait and Hong Kong tomorrow to fight for a place in the 2nd Round.




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