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Sunday, August 30, 2009
12:56 PM
ITTF China Junior Open - Gold, Silver & Bronze!
 Singapore had a successful outing at the recent China Junior Open, clinching a total of 1 Gold, 2 Silvers and 2 Bronze. The Silver Medals were contributed by Li Siyun Isabelle in the Junior and Cadet Girls' Singles Event earlier in the competition. However, Isabelle was not satisfied with the 2 Silver Medals. The Cadet Girls' Team event saw Isabelle winning a Gold Medal, together with teammate Leong Yau Yeak Aldrea and Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut. It was a fantastic performance by the Sports School student, winning every Singles and Doubles matches. En-routing to the finals, they defeated players from India, Egypt and more notably, Hong Kong. In the finals, Isabelle Li and Suthasini Sawettabut recorded a final victory over India’s Narashima Priya and Monika Batra in 3 straight games! The team which comprises of Teo Yi Sen Bryan and Thailand's Tunviriyavejchakul Padasak beat another Singaporean Team to clinch Bronze. Woo Jun Yuan Julian and Ban Hoe Hian Dylan lose out by the faintest margin of 3-2. However, the Singapore-Thailand Team had a taste of their own medicine when China gave them a 3-2 defeat in the Semi Finals. Wang Pengcheng and Zong Hua was completely dominant over Bryan, causing him to lose all 3 points. The last Bronze medal came from our Cadet Boys' Team Event as well. Similarly, they lost to China players. Once again, it is by the smallest margin of 3-2. The team formed by the strongest Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, Tay Jit Kai and Ban Hoe Han Benjamin fell short against Wang Ke and Li Minghao.
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
11:51 AM
World Team Cup - 1st Time in History
 The World Team Cup will be held from 22nd to 25th October 2009, by the Austrian Table Tennis Association. The World Team Cup will be featuring a total of 12 top Men’s and Women’s teams competing for the glory as well as for the US$ 300,000 prize money. These teams are selected base on their continental results as well as the World Team Championships last year, where our Women's Team won Silver. The number of the invited teams was increased from eight to twelve since the last hosting of the World Team Cup two years ago. The main reason is to give a chance to the teams from Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania. Thus the qualifiers are the top seven from the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Table Tennis Championships, the host association Austria plus the best from the above mentioned continents. The teams from Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania will play in the newly named Intercontinental Cup on the first day of competition (round robin group matches) and the winner will challenge the no.8 seeded team in a play-off match to decide which team is promoted to the second stage of the World Team Cup (direct knock-out main draw of eight teams). The World Team Cup will follow the Olympic team system (maximum four singles and one doubles matches), the same as in 2007. Ironically, the very strong women’s team, Olympic bronze medallists South Korea, did not qualify for Linz finishing only on 11th place at the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2008, due to the absence of the world's best defenders Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young. This is the first time Singapore is sending a team to participate in the event, and the ladies have a very high chance of winning a medal despite Jia Wei not being able to join them yet. The previous time (which was 2 years back), the Women's Team only went there as a spectator and to understand their opponents better. This time, their target is a medal! Below is the list of invited countries: Men’s teams: China (Olympic champion and World Cup title holder), Korea Republic, Japan, Hong Kong (runners up in 2007), Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei, Germany (Olympic silver medallists), Austria (semi-finalist last time), Egypt, Brazil, Canada, Australia Women’s teams: China (Olympic champions and World Cup title holders), Singapore (Olympic silver medallists), Hong Kong, Japan, Hungary (semi-finalist last time), Austria, the Netherlands, Romania, the United States, Australia, Venezuela, Egypt
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
10:26 PM
ITTF China Junior Open - Outstanding Performance
 Li Siyun Isabelle was the only Singaporean paddler to win medals at the 2009 Taiyuan Junior Open. Not 1, but 2 so far! Seeded No. 1 in both the Junior and Cadet Girls' Singles Events, Isabelle duly booked her place in the finals. However for both events, it was this final hurdle that seperated her from the Gold. Isabelle was no match against Thailand's Sawettabut Suthasini and Host Nation's Cui Chenxu in the Cadet and Junior Singles respectively. Her route to the finals was not easy. In the cadet girls' singles event, Isabelle top her group to qualify for the Main Draw, and her 1st opponent was China's Hu Jiarong. But still, Isabelle's solid defensive skills prove to be stronger than her opponents. Her journey in the Junior Girls' event is even more exciting. She defeated players from table tennis powerhouse like Hong Kong before enrouting to the Semi Finals, where she had a hard fought 7 games duel with Batra Monika from India. Her victory has definitely proven that Singapore is on the right track in developing local talents and fans will long to see Isabelle Li donning National Colours in the Olympic Games in the near future. Another 2 players that have showed great performance are Asian Youth Games Bronze Medalists Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Tay Jit Kai. Both of them are the Youth Olympic hopefuls and both of them are left handed players. They managed to reach the Quarter Finals of the Cadet Boys' Singles Event, missing out the medal by just an inch. Playing in their 1st international tournament, Ban Hoe Han Benjamin and Leong Yau Yeak Aldrea did well to progress into the Main Draw of the Junior Boys' and Girls' Singles Event. However, both fell to China players in the 1st round. Benjamin was no match against Wang Xingyu while Aldrea was defeated by Cui Chenxu, the lady whom denied Isabelle of the Girls' Singles Crown! Singapore sent a huge contingent to the China Open this time, hoping to expose our junior paddlers to more competition. Many were participating in their 1st overseas competition. Although most of them failed to progress further, it is a good learning experience for our youths and a huge step in developing local youths.
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
5:37 PM
ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open - Tianwei Justify Top Seeded Position
 Feng Tianwei justified her exalted position in the draw by winning the Women’s Singles crown at the KAL Cup Korean Open. In the final of the Women's Singles Match, Feng Tianwei completed the job with ruthless efficiency. She dominated matters from start to finish, succeeding in four straight games against Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun. Tianwei won 11-2, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. In the Semi-Finals, Feng Tianwei prevailed in the all Singaporean duel by beating Sun Bei Bei in a close seven games encounter. It was a great performance by Feng Tianwei, but for Sun Bei Bei, she has something to celebrate about as well. Not only has she pocket the Bronze Medal in the Singles event, she defeated higher ranking counterparts along the way in the likes of Wang Yue Gu and Hong Kong's Tie Yana. China's Shen Dandan suffered under her bat as well. Yang Zi had a rather good outing as well. Pairing up with Tokic Bojan for the 1st time, they managed to qualify for the main draw. He did well in the Singles event as well. However, he found not solution to the fast attacking skills of the former Olympic Champion, Korea Republic's Ryu Seung Min. Meanwhile in the Women's Doubles, the ladies maintained their form, with both Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu and Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu reaching the Quarter Finals. However, they found Hong Kong and Japan too strong and faltered against them respectively. The team will be heading to China for training after the competition.
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
5:42 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Double Happiness for Feng Tianwei
 Feng Tianwei became the biggest Singaporean winner at the 2009 China Open in Tianjin. She bagged both the Bronze Medal in the Women Singles and Doubles Event together with Wang Yuegu. Gao Ning is another hero who caused an upset against the 6th Seed, Denmark's Michael Maze. It is one of Singapore's best outing this year and there will be more to come. 2nd Seed, Feng Tianwei duly booked her placed in the Semi Finals, after defeating China's Cao Zhen and Japanese Fukuhara Ai. However, her progress is stopped by 17th year old chopper Wu Yang. Host Nation's Wu Yang turned the tables to reach her first ever Women’s Singles final on the ITTF Pro Tour; in fact her previous best was in Bremen at the 2009 German Open, where it was Feng Tianwei who prevented her from progress. The unseeded Wu Yang defeated the Feng Tianwei 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 11-1, 11-6, 11-1. The other 3 ladies faltered in the round of 16, where Sun Bei Bei faltered against Top Seed Liu Shiwen and Yu Meng Yu and Wang Yuegu lost to Dang Ye Seo and Cao Zhen respectively. In the Men's Singles Event, Gao Ning was in splendid form, beating higher ranked opposition. It was for him a continuation of the good form he displayed earlier in the year at the Commonwealth Championships in the Scottish city of Glasgow, when he guided Singapore to the gold medal and in some style won the Men’s Singles title. Gao Ning succeeded 6-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2 agiainst Michael Maze. However, he was defeated by Top Seed and China's Wang Hao in the Quarter Finals. Gao Ning lost 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7. In the Women's Doubles Event, Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu was ousted out by teenagers Ding Ning/Liu Shiwen. They lost to the eventual winners in 7 games, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-4, 12-10. Our paddlers also pocketed 1 Silver and 1 Bronze in the U21 Events. Ma Liang settled for Silver after losing to Japan's Oya Hidetoshi. The 21 year old Japanese won 11-6,11-4,10-12,13-11,11-8. Meanwhile, Yu Meng Yu was awarded a Bronze after losing to Chinese Taipei's Ching I-Ching. In confident mood, the 17 year old posted a five games victory (5-11,11-13,12-14,14-12,8-11) over Yu Meng Yu. Most of the members will be eading to South Korea next week, where Pang Xue Jie will be joining them. However, Gao Ning will be giving it a miss as he will be returning to his club in the Chinese Super League.
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4:09 PM
ITTF Korea Junior Junior Open - Silver for Isabelle and Hai Qing
 Youth Olympic Team paddlers Li Siyun Isabelle and Chau Hai Qing won the Silver in the Cadet Girls' Team Event. Together in their team is Meshref Dina from Egypt. The girls did not disppoint. Seeded 2, they defeated Teams from host nations as well as mixed teams from Japan and Thailand. In the Finals, the girls lost 3-0 to South Korea 'A'. Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Tay Jit Kai had to play the Junior Boys' Team event due to Pang Xue Jie being overage for the Cadet Boys' Event. Despite playing against older boys, they put up a very good fight and clinch the 10th place in the whole event. Pang Xue Jie was the hero for the team, clinching 2 points in most matches they played. However, our youths suffered in the Singles and Doubles Events. Chau Hai Qing lost in the first round of the Cadet Girls' Event while Isabelle failed to qualify. Clarence Chew and Jit Kai were victims in the opening round as well. All of them lost to South Koreans oppositions! Pag Xue Jie managed to progressed to the 2nd round before losing to another player from the host nation. Chau Hai Qing/Isabelle Li lost narrowly to a medal after losing 3-2 to yet another pair from South Korea. The left handed pairing of Clarence Chew/Tay Jit Kai were not let off either. They lost 3-1 to South Koreans again! The Republic of Korea seems to be much against our players. Pang Xue Jie who partnered Japanese Matsuda Naoki in the Junior Boys' Doubles Event suffered under them as well. Something to be happy about is that all of them lost in the Quarter Final stage!
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Friday, August 14, 2009
10:44 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Singaporean Leading Ladies Enjoyed Success on 1st Day
 The Women's Team led by Feng Tianwei, enjoyed success in their opening matches in the Women's Singles Event. 4 out of 5 ladies negotiated the 1st and 2nd round with much ease. The only tense moments was by Yu Meng Yu in her 1st and 2nd round. Against the very experienced Jun Hye Jung, Yu Meng Yu kept her fighting spirit and fought all the way to take the game, 4-3. In the 2nd match against Japanese Fujii Hiroko, it was another full distance duel. Yu Meng Yu was 2-1 down, before coming back strong to take the game. She will be facing Olympic Bronze Medalist South Korea's Dang Ye Seo in tomorrow's match. For the other ladies, 4-0 or 4-1 were the orders of the day. Sun Bei Bei swept France's Li Xue 4-1, before overcoming Japan's Jirano Sayaka in straight games. Top Seed and China's Liu Shiwen will be awaiting for Sun in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Wang Yue Gu was in merciless mood. She crashed both her opponents 4-0! Feng Tianwei faced another South Korean in the 1st round, beating her 4-0. She then took on Fukuoka Haruna from Japan, whom she defeat in 5 games. Wang Yue Gu will be facing China's Cao Zhen tomorrow and Tianwei will be meeting Japanese Prodigy, Fukuhara Ai. Gao Ning is the only one standing in the Male counterpart. Ma Liang and Lu Zhong Ze suffered 1st round defeat. Liu Zhong Ze lost to the higher ranked Poland's Kosowki Jakub, while Ma Liang was upset by a qualifier, South Korea's Kim Gang Woog. He beat Ma Liang 4-2. Gao Ning and Yang Zi recorded wins over India's Ghosh Soumyajit and Saha Subhajit respectively. However in the 2nd Round, Yang Zi was no match against Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi. He faltered by the faintest margin of 4-3. Meanwhile, Gao Ning taught South Korea's Lee Sang Su a lesson, defeating him 4-1. He will be taking on Denmark's no. 1 male player Micheal Maze. Our male paddlers continue to fare badly in the Men's Double's Event. Top Seeds, Gao Ning and Yang Zi were crashed by Denmark's Groth Jonathan/Sternberg Kasper. Ma Liang/Liu Zhong Ze fell short against Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi and Tang Peng. On the other hand, our female players fare slightly better. Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu successfully negotiated the 1st round beating India's Das Mouma/Ghatak Poulomi. Their next opponent is Romania's Dodean Daniela/Samara Elizabeta. However, Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu were defeated by Hong Kong's teenagers Lee Ho Ching/Yu Kwok See. This could be due to the tireness of Yu Meng Yu who had to play 14 sets in the Singles match. The U21 Events will begin tomorrow and end tomorrow. This will be even more taxing for Yu Meng Yu who still have her Singles Match.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
11:55 PM
ITTF Korea Junior Open - Xue Jie give up China Open for Korea Junior Open
 National Paddler Pang Xue Jie will be joining his Juniors, Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, Tay Jit Kai, Li Siyun Isabelle and Chau Hai Qing in the Korea Junior Open. Commencing tomorrowing is the Team events. Singapore will be participating in the Junior Boys' and Cadet Girls' Team Event. The Junior Boys' is represented by Xue Jie, Clarence and Jit Kai. They drawn into group A, where they will be facing stronger teams such as the Korean 'A' and another combine team of Japan and Egypt. The Cadet Girls' will consist of Isabelle, Hai Qing and another lady from Egypt. They are the 2nd Seeds and their opponents in Group B all hails from the host nation. 2 teams from each group will prgress to the main draw.
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10:34 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Better Luck for the Male Paddlers Next Time?
 The Team Singapore contingent receive another unlucky draw in the China Open which will commence tomorrow. The male paddlers expecially whom really hoped to do well in this competition to erase all the terrible memories in the past. Our ladies also hoped to prove themselves, after a series of disappointing performance in the Pro Tour. Gao Ning is drawn into the 1st quarter of the draw, where he is likely to be facing Denmark's Michael Maze in the round of 16. Maze was the Bronze Medalist in the 2005 World Championships. Yang Zi's progress is likely to be halted in the 2nd or 3rd round where he will be facing Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi and Olympic Champion, China's Ma Lin respectively. Ma Liang will be playing against the defensive style of Chen Wei Xing in the 2nd round. Singapore's Feng Tianwei is the 2nd Seed after the withdrawal of China's Guo Yan. She is surrounded by Japanese players in the 2nd and 3rd round. In the quarter finals, she will either play teammate Wang Yue Gu or China's Cao Zhen. Sun Bei Bei is likely to be facing Top Seed and China's Liu Shiwen in the round of 16. Yu Meng Yu is the relatively more lucky of all. She is likely to progress to the quarter finals when she will take on Liu Shiwen or Sun Bei Bei. Liu Zhong Ze and Sim Kai Xin Zena are in the group stage which will begin tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the Men's Doubles, Gao Ning/Yang Zi is the Top Seed. Their challenge come in the 2nd round, where he will meet former Olympic Champion, South Korea's Ryu Seung Min/Le Sang Su. The rest of the Seeded pairs should not pose much threat to them. In the Women's Doubles Event, Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu and Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu are likely to proceed to the Semi Finals where they will meet the 1st and 2nd Seed respectively. They are Hong Kong's Jiang Huajun/Tie Yana and China's Ding Ning/Liu Shiwen.
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Saturday, August 8, 2009
8:54 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Wrong Move to Put Isabelle in 3rd Singles
The Girls' Combine Team of Li Siyun Isabelle, Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut and Egypt’s Dina Meshref was defeated by Hong Kong 'A' by 3 matches to 1. It was obviously a wrong move by the coach to put the best player Isabelle in the 3rd Singles Match, indirectly causing the whole team defeat. The Thailand lady gave the team a good start by recording a 3-2 win over the stronger Lee Ho Ching. Suthasini Sawettabut was 2-0 behind before she increased her attack and turn the table around. Dina Meshref lost 2 points for the team, faltering against Guan Meng Yuan and Lee Ho Ching in the 2nd and 4th match. Isabelle lost the 3rd match to Ng Wing Nan. It was a pity for Isabelle as she had defeated her one month earlier in the Asian Youth Games. Although letting Isabelle play 2 singles matches may not definitely secure victory for the team, at the least, the team will have higher chance of creating an upset. The combine team had to settle for a Bronze. On the other hand, Pang Xue Jie's medal hopes crashed as he and his partner Matsuda Naoki lost to Chinese Chen Xi/Zhou Yu. They lost in straight games, 11-9,11-7,11-7. The Chinese teenagers were dominant in all events. They are the Champions for the Boys' and Girls' Team Event. They are also title favourites for other events. Chen Xi, who upset Top Seed and World Junior Champion Chen Chien-An is further joined by Feng Ji and Zhou Yu in the Semi Finals of the Boys' Singles event. They occupy 3 out of 4 places in the Semi Finals. Their medal hopes were also kept alive in other events, with Luo Yue successfully negotiating the Quarter Finals of the Girls' Singles Event, Chen Xi/Zhou Yu in the Boys' Doubles and Luo Yue/Xiong Xinyun in the Girls' Doubles.
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Friday, August 7, 2009
10:36 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Another Medal from Xue Jie?
National Team Player Pang Xue Jie could well win another medal after Li Siyun Isabelle's Medal in the Girls' Team Event (position not decided). Pang Xue Jie qualified for the Quarter Finals after defeating New Zealand's Kevin Wu/Philip Xiao alongside with Matsuda Naoki from the land of rising sun. They were merciless in the round of 16, defeating their opponents in straight games. Pang and Isabelle are the republic's only hope left for a medal. Meanwhile, the 2 left handed pairing of Tay Jit Kai and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence suffered defeat in the same round. They faltered against Japanese Higshi Yuto/Otsuka Masahiro. Earlier on, they crashed Hong Kong's Tang Hoi Yen/Yim Man Cheuk in straight games. Li Siyun Isabelle was another victim in the round of 16 Girls' Doubles Event. She and her Thailand's partner Sawettabut Suthasini fought very hard but found themselves inferior to Lam Shermaine Joey/Mo Hei Shim. They lost by the faintest margin of 3-2. She was also ousted out in the Girls Singles Event losing out to another Hong Kong player, Guan Meng Yuan. Our boys were unable to make further progress in the Boys' Singles Event. They were drawn into the consolation round. Xue Jie and Clarence managed to reach the Quarter Finals after defeating Yim Man Cheuk and Wong Shing Chung Anthony respectively. However, Jit Kai fell against Hong Kong's Hung Daryl.
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4:06 PM
August World Ranking - The Month for the Youths
July had been a month which was very happening for our youths. They took part in the Asian Youth Games held in Singapore earlier in the month and ended with the Asian Junior Championships in India. As part of preparation for the Youth Olympic Games, they had to fly all over the world to win ranking points so as to achieve a better seeding position next year. Their efforts had paid off, although this is not reflected in their World Ranking. The Sports School Student, Li Siyun Isabelle, had a slight dip in her World Ranking, from 8th to 10 in the U15 Ranking. Meanwhile, Kwa Hui Qi and Look Pei Yee Sylvia who had outstanding performance in the Asian Championships also saw a drop in the World Ranking. In the U18 World Ranking, Kwa and Sylvia are at 56 and 134 respectively. The drop in world ranking for our paddlers were not because of poor performance in these compeitions, but rather due to the increase in players that are being ranked. Isabelle was pushed down by the North Korean teenager who defeated her in the Quarter Finals of the Asian Youth Games and the other being the Silver Medalist China's Gu Yuting. Despite a decrease in World Ranking for Sylvia, her ranking points actually increased! The male counterparts suffered the same fate. Chew Zhe Yu Clarence saw an increase of 7 points but his ranking dropped to 183. Tay Jit Kai who was previously unranked, is currently at 274 in the U15 Ranking. In the U18 Ranking, Pang Xue Jie drop one place to 58 despite a increase in 4 ranking points. On the other hand, the seniors took the backseat taking part in competition in the club levels. All their World Ranking remained the same, except for Gao Ning who is at 25. They will be returning on to the international stage next week in TianJin, China.
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Thursday, August 6, 2009
10:25 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Isabelle Secured Bronze in Junior Girls' Team
The Combined Team of Singapore’s Isabelle Li, Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut were stretched to the very limit by Chinese Taipei `A’. They won by three matches to two thanks to what eventually proved to be a true team effort. In the Quarter Finals, thorn in the side of the eventual victors was Cheng I-Ching; she beat both Isabelle Li and Dina Meshref in the 1st and 4th match but wins for the latter two over Wang Yi-Ju and success for Suthasini Sawettabut in opposition to Tsui Pao-Wen ensured success. The team will confront the second seeds, Japan represented by Ayuka Tanioka, Mizuki Morizono, Yui Sato and Rika Suzuki on the 8th August in the Semi-Finals. On the other hand, our Junior Boys' Team suffered a 3-0 defeat against the stronger Chinese Taipei 'A'. Led by the World Junior Champion Chen Chien-An, he beat Chew Zhe Yu Clarence in straight games. Hung Tzu-Hsiang won the 2 point after recording a 3-1 win over Pang Xue Jie. Matters came to an end when Tay Jit Kai lost to Hung Tzu-Hsiang by another 3-0 margin. The Doubles Events will start tomorrow. Clarence Chew/Tay Jit Kai will play host nation's Tang Hoi Yen/Yim Man Cheuk. Pang Xue Jie and Isablle Li Siyun will partner players from other countries. Pang will partner Matsuda Naoki from Japan, Isabelle will work with Thailand's Sawettabut Suthasini. They will begin their tournament only in the 2nd round.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009
10:09 AM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Singaporean Teams Progress
 The 1st ITTF Global Junior Circuit that is held in Hong Kong attracted a total of 86 youth paddlers all over the world. Our Singaporean Team is represented by Pang Xue Jie and Asian Youth Games Bronze Medalists Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, Tay Jit Kai and Li Siyun Isabelle. Matters start today with Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ Team events. Our Boys' Team is drawn into Group D, together with 4 th Seeds, Hong Kong A, USA and Chinese Taipei B. They put up a very impressive performance on day 1, clinching the overall 2 nd position in the group to progress into the Main Draw. The team got off to a rocky start in their opening game against Chinese Taipei B, when Tay Jit Kai lost his 1st Single Match against Hsu Chia- Liang. However, that was the only point that the opponent could get from the boys. Pang Xue Jie and Clarence won the next 3 matches to secure victory for the team. In ther 2 nd game against the higher ranked Hong Kong A, they faltered 3-0. Not to be despaired, Pang and company came back in their last group match to thrash USA 3-1. The only point lost was by Clarence in the 2 nd match. The team score a total of 5 points, and has qualified for the Main Draw tomorrow. Meanwhile, Isabelle had to team up with players from other countries in order to participate in the Junior Girls' Team event as she is the only female representative from our Singaporean camp. Her other 3 teammates are Sawettabut Suthasini, Meshref Dina and Lee Michelle from various countries. Similarly, the team did well, obtaining te 2 nd position in their group. Isabelle lost her 1st match against Japanese Tanioka Ayuka, indirectly causing the team to lose 3-0. Perhaps that was because it was the 1st game they played as a team. In their 2 nd game, none of the players lost a single match. Isabelle showed no mercy to her Hong Kong opponent, beating her in straight games, thus assisting her team into the Main Draw tomorrow. Commencing tomorrow are the Singles Event, where 6 th Seed Pang Xue Jie is drawn into group F with China's Feng Ji, Hong Kong's Tang Hoi Yen and Japan's Muramatsu Yuto. Tay Jit Kai will be facing 7 th Seed, host nation's Chiu Chung Hei, Japan's Otsuka Masahiro and USA's Yao Alexander Shin. Clarence will have a tough time taking on Portugal's Aguirre Marcelo, Lam Siu Hang from the host nation and Hung Tzu- Hsiang from Chinese Taipei. Isabelle Li is the 8 th Seed in her event. In her group, she will have to defeat 2 players from Hong Kong, Ng Wing Kei and Chan Suet Ying, and Japanese Sato Yui.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
11:41 PM
ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open - Singaporeans to be Wary of Upsets
 The absence of top players from the dominant China has risen the chances for our female paddlers to sweep the Gold Medals in all the Women's Events. In the Women's Singles Event, Feng Tianwei is the Top Seed. She is further supported by 4th Seed Wang Yue Gu, as well as the 11th and 13th Seed, Yu Meng Yu and Sun Bei Bei. However, our paddlers have to be very cautious as some of the world's best choppers Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young will be playing on home ground. They will definately be aiming to cause an upset especially when our players are weak against their style of play. Although China may not have sent any of their World Top 6 players, the paddlers from the Chinese 2nd team are not to be trifled with. The Chinese camp is represented by a group of Asian Junior Champions. Che Xiaoxi was part of the team which won the Girls' Team Event in the Asian Junior Championships in Singapore last year. In the recently concluded Asian Junior Championships in India, Che Xiaoxi was once again the winner. She was also the runner up in the Junior Girls' Doubles and Singles Event. Also in the Champion team of this year's Asian Junior Championships are Zhang Qiang and Shen Dandan. Meanwhile local teenager Sim Kai Xin Zena will be joining the Chinese, creating upsets. In the Men's Singles Event, Olympic Champions Ma Lin, Wang Liqin, Wang Hao and Chen Qi will also be giving the Pro Tour a miss. Leading the team is World No. 9, Hao Shuai. His other teammates Qiu Yike, Lei Zhenhua, Xu Hui and Xu Ruifeng will have to play the qualification stage. Despite not having a World Ranking, these players can be compared to those with ranking less than 50. They lost their World ranking as they have been missing international competition for a long time. Gao Ning, Yang Zi, Ma Liang, Liu Zhong Ze and Pang Xue Jie will be trying their best to improve their world ranking. Our male paddlers' ranking has dropped drastically after the Beijing Olympics. Gao Ning, who was once in the Top 10, is now out of the Top 20 range. Yang Zi, who has always been in the Top 40 Range is now out of the Top 50 ranking.
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Sunday, August 30, 2009
12:56 PM
ITTF China Junior Open - Gold, Silver & Bronze!
Singapore had a successful outing at the recent China Junior Open, clinching a total of 1 Gold, 2 Silvers and 2 Bronze. The Silver Medals were contributed by Li Siyun Isabelle in the Junior and Cadet Girls' Singles Event earlier in the competition. However, Isabelle was not satisfied with the 2 Silver Medals. The Cadet Girls' Team event saw Isabelle winning a Gold Medal, together with teammate Leong Yau Yeak Aldrea and Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut. It was a fantastic performance by the Sports School student, winning every Singles and Doubles matches. En-routing to the finals, they defeated players from India, Egypt and more notably, Hong Kong. In the finals, Isabelle Li and Suthasini Sawettabut recorded a final victory over India’s Narashima Priya and Monika Batra in 3 straight games! The team which comprises of Teo Yi Sen Bryan and Thailand's Tunviriyavejchakul Padasak beat another Singaporean Team to clinch Bronze. Woo Jun Yuan Julian and Ban Hoe Hian Dylan lose out by the faintest margin of 3-2. However, the Singapore-Thailand Team had a taste of their own medicine when China gave them a 3-2 defeat in the Semi Finals. Wang Pengcheng and Zong Hua was completely dominant over Bryan, causing him to lose all 3 points. The last Bronze medal came from our Cadet Boys' Team Event as well. Similarly, they lost to China players. Once again, it is by the smallest margin of 3-2. The team formed by the strongest Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, Tay Jit Kai and Ban Hoe Han Benjamin fell short against Wang Ke and Li Minghao.
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
11:51 AM
World Team Cup - 1st Time in History
The World Team Cup will be held from 22nd to 25th October 2009, by the Austrian Table Tennis Association. The World Team Cup will be featuring a total of 12 top Men’s and Women’s teams competing for the glory as well as for the US$ 300,000 prize money. These teams are selected base on their continental results as well as the World Team Championships last year, where our Women's Team won Silver. The number of the invited teams was increased from eight to twelve since the last hosting of the World Team Cup two years ago. The main reason is to give a chance to the teams from Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania. Thus the qualifiers are the top seven from the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Table Tennis Championships, the host association Austria plus the best from the above mentioned continents. The teams from Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania will play in the newly named Intercontinental Cup on the first day of competition (round robin group matches) and the winner will challenge the no.8 seeded team in a play-off match to decide which team is promoted to the second stage of the World Team Cup (direct knock-out main draw of eight teams). The World Team Cup will follow the Olympic team system (maximum four singles and one doubles matches), the same as in 2007. Ironically, the very strong women’s team, Olympic bronze medallists South Korea, did not qualify for Linz finishing only on 11th place at the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2008, due to the absence of the world's best defenders Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young. This is the first time Singapore is sending a team to participate in the event, and the ladies have a very high chance of winning a medal despite Jia Wei not being able to join them yet. The previous time (which was 2 years back), the Women's Team only went there as a spectator and to understand their opponents better. This time, their target is a medal! Below is the list of invited countries: Men’s teams: China (Olympic champion and World Cup title holder), Korea Republic, Japan, Hong Kong (runners up in 2007), Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei, Germany (Olympic silver medallists), Austria (semi-finalist last time), Egypt, Brazil, Canada, Australia Women’s teams: China (Olympic champions and World Cup title holders), Singapore (Olympic silver medallists), Hong Kong, Japan, Hungary (semi-finalist last time), Austria, the Netherlands, Romania, the United States, Australia, Venezuela, Egypt
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
10:26 PM
ITTF China Junior Open - Outstanding Performance
Li Siyun Isabelle was the only Singaporean paddler to win medals at the 2009 Taiyuan Junior Open. Not 1, but 2 so far! Seeded No. 1 in both the Junior and Cadet Girls' Singles Events, Isabelle duly booked her place in the finals. However for both events, it was this final hurdle that seperated her from the Gold. Isabelle was no match against Thailand's Sawettabut Suthasini and Host Nation's Cui Chenxu in the Cadet and Junior Singles respectively. Her route to the finals was not easy. In the cadet girls' singles event, Isabelle top her group to qualify for the Main Draw, and her 1st opponent was China's Hu Jiarong. But still, Isabelle's solid defensive skills prove to be stronger than her opponents. Her journey in the Junior Girls' event is even more exciting. She defeated players from table tennis powerhouse like Hong Kong before enrouting to the Semi Finals, where she had a hard fought 7 games duel with Batra Monika from India. Her victory has definitely proven that Singapore is on the right track in developing local talents and fans will long to see Isabelle Li donning National Colours in the Olympic Games in the near future. Another 2 players that have showed great performance are Asian Youth Games Bronze Medalists Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Tay Jit Kai. Both of them are the Youth Olympic hopefuls and both of them are left handed players. They managed to reach the Quarter Finals of the Cadet Boys' Singles Event, missing out the medal by just an inch. Playing in their 1st international tournament, Ban Hoe Han Benjamin and Leong Yau Yeak Aldrea did well to progress into the Main Draw of the Junior Boys' and Girls' Singles Event. However, both fell to China players in the 1st round. Benjamin was no match against Wang Xingyu while Aldrea was defeated by Cui Chenxu, the lady whom denied Isabelle of the Girls' Singles Crown! Singapore sent a huge contingent to the China Open this time, hoping to expose our junior paddlers to more competition. Many were participating in their 1st overseas competition. Although most of them failed to progress further, it is a good learning experience for our youths and a huge step in developing local youths.
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
5:37 PM
ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open - Tianwei Justify Top Seeded Position
Feng Tianwei justified her exalted position in the draw by winning the Women’s Singles crown at the KAL Cup Korean Open. In the final of the Women's Singles Match, Feng Tianwei completed the job with ruthless efficiency. She dominated matters from start to finish, succeeding in four straight games against Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun. Tianwei won 11-2, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. In the Semi-Finals, Feng Tianwei prevailed in the all Singaporean duel by beating Sun Bei Bei in a close seven games encounter. It was a great performance by Feng Tianwei, but for Sun Bei Bei, she has something to celebrate about as well. Not only has she pocket the Bronze Medal in the Singles event, she defeated higher ranking counterparts along the way in the likes of Wang Yue Gu and Hong Kong's Tie Yana. China's Shen Dandan suffered under her bat as well. Yang Zi had a rather good outing as well. Pairing up with Tokic Bojan for the 1st time, they managed to qualify for the main draw. He did well in the Singles event as well. However, he found not solution to the fast attacking skills of the former Olympic Champion, Korea Republic's Ryu Seung Min. Meanwhile in the Women's Doubles, the ladies maintained their form, with both Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu and Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu reaching the Quarter Finals. However, they found Hong Kong and Japan too strong and faltered against them respectively. The team will be heading to China for training after the competition.
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
5:42 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Double Happiness for Feng Tianwei
Feng Tianwei became the biggest Singaporean winner at the 2009 China Open in Tianjin. She bagged both the Bronze Medal in the Women Singles and Doubles Event together with Wang Yuegu. Gao Ning is another hero who caused an upset against the 6th Seed, Denmark's Michael Maze. It is one of Singapore's best outing this year and there will be more to come. 2nd Seed, Feng Tianwei duly booked her placed in the Semi Finals, after defeating China's Cao Zhen and Japanese Fukuhara Ai. However, her progress is stopped by 17th year old chopper Wu Yang. Host Nation's Wu Yang turned the tables to reach her first ever Women’s Singles final on the ITTF Pro Tour; in fact her previous best was in Bremen at the 2009 German Open, where it was Feng Tianwei who prevented her from progress. The unseeded Wu Yang defeated the Feng Tianwei 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 11-1, 11-6, 11-1. The other 3 ladies faltered in the round of 16, where Sun Bei Bei faltered against Top Seed Liu Shiwen and Yu Meng Yu and Wang Yuegu lost to Dang Ye Seo and Cao Zhen respectively. In the Men's Singles Event, Gao Ning was in splendid form, beating higher ranked opposition. It was for him a continuation of the good form he displayed earlier in the year at the Commonwealth Championships in the Scottish city of Glasgow, when he guided Singapore to the gold medal and in some style won the Men’s Singles title. Gao Ning succeeded 6-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2 agiainst Michael Maze. However, he was defeated by Top Seed and China's Wang Hao in the Quarter Finals. Gao Ning lost 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7. In the Women's Doubles Event, Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu was ousted out by teenagers Ding Ning/Liu Shiwen. They lost to the eventual winners in 7 games, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-4, 12-10. Our paddlers also pocketed 1 Silver and 1 Bronze in the U21 Events. Ma Liang settled for Silver after losing to Japan's Oya Hidetoshi. The 21 year old Japanese won 11-6,11-4,10-12,13-11,11-8. Meanwhile, Yu Meng Yu was awarded a Bronze after losing to Chinese Taipei's Ching I-Ching. In confident mood, the 17 year old posted a five games victory (5-11,11-13,12-14,14-12,8-11) over Yu Meng Yu. Most of the members will be eading to South Korea next week, where Pang Xue Jie will be joining them. However, Gao Ning will be giving it a miss as he will be returning to his club in the Chinese Super League.
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4:09 PM
ITTF Korea Junior Junior Open - Silver for Isabelle and Hai Qing
Youth Olympic Team paddlers Li Siyun Isabelle and Chau Hai Qing won the Silver in the Cadet Girls' Team Event. Together in their team is Meshref Dina from Egypt. The girls did not disppoint. Seeded 2, they defeated Teams from host nations as well as mixed teams from Japan and Thailand. In the Finals, the girls lost 3-0 to South Korea 'A'. Chew Zhe Yu Clarence and Tay Jit Kai had to play the Junior Boys' Team event due to Pang Xue Jie being overage for the Cadet Boys' Event. Despite playing against older boys, they put up a very good fight and clinch the 10th place in the whole event. Pang Xue Jie was the hero for the team, clinching 2 points in most matches they played. However, our youths suffered in the Singles and Doubles Events. Chau Hai Qing lost in the first round of the Cadet Girls' Event while Isabelle failed to qualify. Clarence Chew and Jit Kai were victims in the opening round as well. All of them lost to South Koreans oppositions! Pag Xue Jie managed to progressed to the 2nd round before losing to another player from the host nation. Chau Hai Qing/Isabelle Li lost narrowly to a medal after losing 3-2 to yet another pair from South Korea. The left handed pairing of Clarence Chew/Tay Jit Kai were not let off either. They lost 3-1 to South Koreans again! The Republic of Korea seems to be much against our players. Pang Xue Jie who partnered Japanese Matsuda Naoki in the Junior Boys' Doubles Event suffered under them as well. Something to be happy about is that all of them lost in the Quarter Final stage!
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Friday, August 14, 2009
10:44 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Singaporean Leading Ladies Enjoyed Success on 1st Day
The Women's Team led by Feng Tianwei, enjoyed success in their opening matches in the Women's Singles Event. 4 out of 5 ladies negotiated the 1st and 2nd round with much ease. The only tense moments was by Yu Meng Yu in her 1st and 2nd round. Against the very experienced Jun Hye Jung, Yu Meng Yu kept her fighting spirit and fought all the way to take the game, 4-3. In the 2nd match against Japanese Fujii Hiroko, it was another full distance duel. Yu Meng Yu was 2-1 down, before coming back strong to take the game. She will be facing Olympic Bronze Medalist South Korea's Dang Ye Seo in tomorrow's match. For the other ladies, 4-0 or 4-1 were the orders of the day. Sun Bei Bei swept France's Li Xue 4-1, before overcoming Japan's Jirano Sayaka in straight games. Top Seed and China's Liu Shiwen will be awaiting for Sun in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Wang Yue Gu was in merciless mood. She crashed both her opponents 4-0! Feng Tianwei faced another South Korean in the 1st round, beating her 4-0. She then took on Fukuoka Haruna from Japan, whom she defeat in 5 games. Wang Yue Gu will be facing China's Cao Zhen tomorrow and Tianwei will be meeting Japanese Prodigy, Fukuhara Ai. Gao Ning is the only one standing in the Male counterpart. Ma Liang and Lu Zhong Ze suffered 1st round defeat. Liu Zhong Ze lost to the higher ranked Poland's Kosowki Jakub, while Ma Liang was upset by a qualifier, South Korea's Kim Gang Woog. He beat Ma Liang 4-2. Gao Ning and Yang Zi recorded wins over India's Ghosh Soumyajit and Saha Subhajit respectively. However in the 2nd Round, Yang Zi was no match against Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi. He faltered by the faintest margin of 4-3. Meanwhile, Gao Ning taught South Korea's Lee Sang Su a lesson, defeating him 4-1. He will be taking on Denmark's no. 1 male player Micheal Maze. Our male paddlers continue to fare badly in the Men's Double's Event. Top Seeds, Gao Ning and Yang Zi were crashed by Denmark's Groth Jonathan/Sternberg Kasper. Ma Liang/Liu Zhong Ze fell short against Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi and Tang Peng. On the other hand, our female players fare slightly better. Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu successfully negotiated the 1st round beating India's Das Mouma/Ghatak Poulomi. Their next opponent is Romania's Dodean Daniela/Samara Elizabeta. However, Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu were defeated by Hong Kong's teenagers Lee Ho Ching/Yu Kwok See. This could be due to the tireness of Yu Meng Yu who had to play 14 sets in the Singles match. The U21 Events will begin tomorrow and end tomorrow. This will be even more taxing for Yu Meng Yu who still have her Singles Match.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
11:55 PM
ITTF Korea Junior Open - Xue Jie give up China Open for Korea Junior Open
National Paddler Pang Xue Jie will be joining his Juniors, Clarence Chew Zhe Yu, Tay Jit Kai, Li Siyun Isabelle and Chau Hai Qing in the Korea Junior Open. Commencing tomorrowing is the Team events. Singapore will be participating in the Junior Boys' and Cadet Girls' Team Event. The Junior Boys' is represented by Xue Jie, Clarence and Jit Kai. They drawn into group A, where they will be facing stronger teams such as the Korean 'A' and another combine team of Japan and Egypt. The Cadet Girls' will consist of Isabelle, Hai Qing and another lady from Egypt. They are the 2nd Seeds and their opponents in Group B all hails from the host nation. 2 teams from each group will prgress to the main draw.
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10:34 PM
ITTF Pro Tour China Open - Better Luck for the Male Paddlers Next Time?
The Team Singapore contingent receive another unlucky draw in the China Open which will commence tomorrow. The male paddlers expecially whom really hoped to do well in this competition to erase all the terrible memories in the past. Our ladies also hoped to prove themselves, after a series of disappointing performance in the Pro Tour. Gao Ning is drawn into the 1st quarter of the draw, where he is likely to be facing Denmark's Michael Maze in the round of 16. Maze was the Bronze Medalist in the 2005 World Championships. Yang Zi's progress is likely to be halted in the 2nd or 3rd round where he will be facing Hong Kong's Jiang Tianyi and Olympic Champion, China's Ma Lin respectively. Ma Liang will be playing against the defensive style of Chen Wei Xing in the 2nd round. Singapore's Feng Tianwei is the 2nd Seed after the withdrawal of China's Guo Yan. She is surrounded by Japanese players in the 2nd and 3rd round. In the quarter finals, she will either play teammate Wang Yue Gu or China's Cao Zhen. Sun Bei Bei is likely to be facing Top Seed and China's Liu Shiwen in the round of 16. Yu Meng Yu is the relatively more lucky of all. She is likely to progress to the quarter finals when she will take on Liu Shiwen or Sun Bei Bei. Liu Zhong Ze and Sim Kai Xin Zena are in the group stage which will begin tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the Men's Doubles, Gao Ning/Yang Zi is the Top Seed. Their challenge come in the 2nd round, where he will meet former Olympic Champion, South Korea's Ryu Seung Min/Le Sang Su. The rest of the Seeded pairs should not pose much threat to them. In the Women's Doubles Event, Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu and Feng Tianwei/Wang Yuegu are likely to proceed to the Semi Finals where they will meet the 1st and 2nd Seed respectively. They are Hong Kong's Jiang Huajun/Tie Yana and China's Ding Ning/Liu Shiwen.
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Saturday, August 8, 2009
8:54 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Wrong Move to Put Isabelle in 3rd Singles
The Girls' Combine Team of Li Siyun Isabelle, Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut and Egypt’s Dina Meshref was defeated by Hong Kong 'A' by 3 matches to 1. It was obviously a wrong move by the coach to put the best player Isabelle in the 3rd Singles Match, indirectly causing the whole team defeat. The Thailand lady gave the team a good start by recording a 3-2 win over the stronger Lee Ho Ching. Suthasini Sawettabut was 2-0 behind before she increased her attack and turn the table around. Dina Meshref lost 2 points for the team, faltering against Guan Meng Yuan and Lee Ho Ching in the 2nd and 4th match. Isabelle lost the 3rd match to Ng Wing Nan. It was a pity for Isabelle as she had defeated her one month earlier in the Asian Youth Games. Although letting Isabelle play 2 singles matches may not definitely secure victory for the team, at the least, the team will have higher chance of creating an upset. The combine team had to settle for a Bronze. On the other hand, Pang Xue Jie's medal hopes crashed as he and his partner Matsuda Naoki lost to Chinese Chen Xi/Zhou Yu. They lost in straight games, 11-9,11-7,11-7. The Chinese teenagers were dominant in all events. They are the Champions for the Boys' and Girls' Team Event. They are also title favourites for other events. Chen Xi, who upset Top Seed and World Junior Champion Chen Chien-An is further joined by Feng Ji and Zhou Yu in the Semi Finals of the Boys' Singles event. They occupy 3 out of 4 places in the Semi Finals. Their medal hopes were also kept alive in other events, with Luo Yue successfully negotiating the Quarter Finals of the Girls' Singles Event, Chen Xi/Zhou Yu in the Boys' Doubles and Luo Yue/Xiong Xinyun in the Girls' Doubles.
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Friday, August 7, 2009
10:36 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Another Medal from Xue Jie?
National Team Player Pang Xue Jie could well win another medal after Li Siyun Isabelle's Medal in the Girls' Team Event (position not decided). Pang Xue Jie qualified for the Quarter Finals after defeating New Zealand's Kevin Wu/Philip Xiao alongside with Matsuda Naoki from the land of rising sun. They were merciless in the round of 16, defeating their opponents in straight games. Pang and Isabelle are the republic's only hope left for a medal. Meanwhile, the 2 left handed pairing of Tay Jit Kai and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence suffered defeat in the same round. They faltered against Japanese Higshi Yuto/Otsuka Masahiro. Earlier on, they crashed Hong Kong's Tang Hoi Yen/Yim Man Cheuk in straight games. Li Siyun Isabelle was another victim in the round of 16 Girls' Doubles Event. She and her Thailand's partner Sawettabut Suthasini fought very hard but found themselves inferior to Lam Shermaine Joey/Mo Hei Shim. They lost by the faintest margin of 3-2. She was also ousted out in the Girls Singles Event losing out to another Hong Kong player, Guan Meng Yuan. Our boys were unable to make further progress in the Boys' Singles Event. They were drawn into the consolation round. Xue Jie and Clarence managed to reach the Quarter Finals after defeating Yim Man Cheuk and Wong Shing Chung Anthony respectively. However, Jit Kai fell against Hong Kong's Hung Daryl.
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4:06 PM
August World Ranking - The Month for the Youths
July had been a month which was very happening for our youths. They took part in the Asian Youth Games held in Singapore earlier in the month and ended with the Asian Junior Championships in India. As part of preparation for the Youth Olympic Games, they had to fly all over the world to win ranking points so as to achieve a better seeding position next year. Their efforts had paid off, although this is not reflected in their World Ranking. The Sports School Student, Li Siyun Isabelle, had a slight dip in her World Ranking, from 8th to 10 in the U15 Ranking. Meanwhile, Kwa Hui Qi and Look Pei Yee Sylvia who had outstanding performance in the Asian Championships also saw a drop in the World Ranking. In the U18 World Ranking, Kwa and Sylvia are at 56 and 134 respectively. The drop in world ranking for our paddlers were not because of poor performance in these compeitions, but rather due to the increase in players that are being ranked. Isabelle was pushed down by the North Korean teenager who defeated her in the Quarter Finals of the Asian Youth Games and the other being the Silver Medalist China's Gu Yuting. Despite a decrease in World Ranking for Sylvia, her ranking points actually increased! The male counterparts suffered the same fate. Chew Zhe Yu Clarence saw an increase of 7 points but his ranking dropped to 183. Tay Jit Kai who was previously unranked, is currently at 274 in the U15 Ranking. In the U18 Ranking, Pang Xue Jie drop one place to 58 despite a increase in 4 ranking points. On the other hand, the seniors took the backseat taking part in competition in the club levels. All their World Ranking remained the same, except for Gao Ning who is at 25. They will be returning on to the international stage next week in TianJin, China.
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Thursday, August 6, 2009
10:25 PM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Isabelle Secured Bronze in Junior Girls' Team
The Combined Team of Singapore’s Isabelle Li, Egypt’s Dina Meshref and Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut were stretched to the very limit by Chinese Taipei `A’. They won by three matches to two thanks to what eventually proved to be a true team effort. In the Quarter Finals, thorn in the side of the eventual victors was Cheng I-Ching; she beat both Isabelle Li and Dina Meshref in the 1st and 4th match but wins for the latter two over Wang Yi-Ju and success for Suthasini Sawettabut in opposition to Tsui Pao-Wen ensured success. The team will confront the second seeds, Japan represented by Ayuka Tanioka, Mizuki Morizono, Yui Sato and Rika Suzuki on the 8th August in the Semi-Finals. On the other hand, our Junior Boys' Team suffered a 3-0 defeat against the stronger Chinese Taipei 'A'. Led by the World Junior Champion Chen Chien-An, he beat Chew Zhe Yu Clarence in straight games. Hung Tzu-Hsiang won the 2 point after recording a 3-1 win over Pang Xue Jie. Matters came to an end when Tay Jit Kai lost to Hung Tzu-Hsiang by another 3-0 margin. The Doubles Events will start tomorrow. Clarence Chew/Tay Jit Kai will play host nation's Tang Hoi Yen/Yim Man Cheuk. Pang Xue Jie and Isablle Li Siyun will partner players from other countries. Pang will partner Matsuda Naoki from Japan, Isabelle will work with Thailand's Sawettabut Suthasini. They will begin their tournament only in the 2nd round.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009
10:09 AM
ITTF Hong Kong Junior Open - Singaporean Teams Progress
The 1st ITTF Global Junior Circuit that is held in Hong Kong attracted a total of 86 youth paddlers all over the world. Our Singaporean Team is represented by Pang Xue Jie and Asian Youth Games Bronze Medalists Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, Tay Jit Kai and Li Siyun Isabelle. Matters start today with Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ Team events. Our Boys' Team is drawn into Group D, together with 4 th Seeds, Hong Kong A, USA and Chinese Taipei B. They put up a very impressive performance on day 1, clinching the overall 2 nd position in the group to progress into the Main Draw. The team got off to a rocky start in their opening game against Chinese Taipei B, when Tay Jit Kai lost his 1st Single Match against Hsu Chia- Liang. However, that was the only point that the opponent could get from the boys. Pang Xue Jie and Clarence won the next 3 matches to secure victory for the team. In ther 2 nd game against the higher ranked Hong Kong A, they faltered 3-0. Not to be despaired, Pang and company came back in their last group match to thrash USA 3-1. The only point lost was by Clarence in the 2 nd match. The team score a total of 5 points, and has qualified for the Main Draw tomorrow. Meanwhile, Isabelle had to team up with players from other countries in order to participate in the Junior Girls' Team event as she is the only female representative from our Singaporean camp. Her other 3 teammates are Sawettabut Suthasini, Meshref Dina and Lee Michelle from various countries. Similarly, the team did well, obtaining te 2 nd position in their group. Isabelle lost her 1st match against Japanese Tanioka Ayuka, indirectly causing the team to lose 3-0. Perhaps that was because it was the 1st game they played as a team. In their 2 nd game, none of the players lost a single match. Isabelle showed no mercy to her Hong Kong opponent, beating her in straight games, thus assisting her team into the Main Draw tomorrow. Commencing tomorrow are the Singles Event, where 6 th Seed Pang Xue Jie is drawn into group F with China's Feng Ji, Hong Kong's Tang Hoi Yen and Japan's Muramatsu Yuto. Tay Jit Kai will be facing 7 th Seed, host nation's Chiu Chung Hei, Japan's Otsuka Masahiro and USA's Yao Alexander Shin. Clarence will have a tough time taking on Portugal's Aguirre Marcelo, Lam Siu Hang from the host nation and Hung Tzu- Hsiang from Chinese Taipei. Isabelle Li is the 8 th Seed in her event. In her group, she will have to defeat 2 players from Hong Kong, Ng Wing Kei and Chan Suet Ying, and Japanese Sato Yui.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
11:41 PM
ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open - Singaporeans to be Wary of Upsets
The absence of top players from the dominant China has risen the chances for our female paddlers to sweep the Gold Medals in all the Women's Events. In the Women's Singles Event, Feng Tianwei is the Top Seed. She is further supported by 4th Seed Wang Yue Gu, as well as the 11th and 13th Seed, Yu Meng Yu and Sun Bei Bei. However, our paddlers have to be very cautious as some of the world's best choppers Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young will be playing on home ground. They will definately be aiming to cause an upset especially when our players are weak against their style of play. Although China may not have sent any of their World Top 6 players, the paddlers from the Chinese 2nd team are not to be trifled with. The Chinese camp is represented by a group of Asian Junior Champions. Che Xiaoxi was part of the team which won the Girls' Team Event in the Asian Junior Championships in Singapore last year. In the recently concluded Asian Junior Championships in India, Che Xiaoxi was once again the winner. She was also the runner up in the Junior Girls' Doubles and Singles Event. Also in the Champion team of this year's Asian Junior Championships are Zhang Qiang and Shen Dandan. Meanwhile local teenager Sim Kai Xin Zena will be joining the Chinese, creating upsets. In the Men's Singles Event, Olympic Champions Ma Lin, Wang Liqin, Wang Hao and Chen Qi will also be giving the Pro Tour a miss. Leading the team is World No. 9, Hao Shuai. His other teammates Qiu Yike, Lei Zhenhua, Xu Hui and Xu Ruifeng will have to play the qualification stage. Despite not having a World Ranking, these players can be compared to those with ranking less than 50. They lost their World ranking as they have been missing international competition for a long time. Gao Ning, Yang Zi, Ma Liang, Liu Zhong Ze and Pang Xue Jie will be trying their best to improve their world ranking. Our male paddlers' ranking has dropped drastically after the Beijing Olympics. Gao Ning, who was once in the Top 10, is now out of the Top 20 range. Yang Zi, who has always been in the Top 40 Range is now out of the Top 50 ranking.
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Men's Team
Chen Feng
Name: Chen Feng
Date of Birth: 24th March 1995
Place of Birth: China
Weight:
Height:
Major Achievements:
Awards:
Chew Zheyu Clarence
Name: Chew Zheyu Clarence
Date of Birth: 27th December 1995
Place of Birth: Singapore
Weight: 57 kg
Height: 175 cm
Major Achievements:
Awards:
Gao Ning
Name: Gao Ning
Date of Birth: 11th October 1982
Place of Birth: Hebei, China
Weight: 70 kg
Height: 175 cm
Hobbies: Gaming, Surfing Internet, Movies
Major Achievements:
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: 1st - Men's Doubles
Singapore Sports Award:
2010 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Cai Xiaoli, Pang Xuejie, Yang Zi)
2010 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (with Yang Zi)
2009 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Cai Xiaoli & Yang Zi)
2009 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (with Yang Zi)
2008 Sportman of the Year
2008 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (together with Cai Xiaoli, Jason Ho Jiaren, Pang Xuejie & Yang Zi)
2008 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (together with Yang Zi)
2007 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (together with Cai Xiaoli, Clarence Lee Tien Hoe, Jason Ho Jiaren, Lee Han Ting & Yang Zi)
Li Hu
Name: Li Hu
Date of Birth: 26th June 1988
Place of Birth: Hai Nan, China
Weight:
Height:
Major Achievements:
2004 World Junior Table Tennis Championships: Boys' Team - 1st
2004 ITTF Junior & Cadet Circuit Finals: Boys' Singles - Joint 3rd
2003 World Junior Table Tennis Championships: Boys' Team - 1st
2003 World Junior Table Tennis Championships: Boys' Singles - 1st
2003 ITTF Junior & Cadet Circuit Finals: Boys' Singles - 1st
Awards:
Liu Zhongze
Name: Liu Zhongze
Date of Birth: 8th August 1988
Place of Birth: China
Weight:
Height:
Major Achievements:
Awards:
Ma Liang
Name: Ma Liang
Date of Birth: 16th April 1991
Place of Birth: China
Weight:
Height:
Major Achievements:
Awards:
Pang Xue Jie
Name: Pang Xue Jie
Date of Birth: 11th March 1993
Place of Birth: Singapore
Weight: 68 kg
Height: 170 cm
Hobbies: Playing computer games
Major Achievements:
Awards:
2010 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Cai Xiaoli, Gao Ning & Yang Zi)
2009 Meritorious (Junior) Award - Boys' Singles
2008 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (together with Gao Ning, Cai Xiaoli, Jason Ho Jiaren, Yang Zi)
Yang Zi
Name: Yang Zi
Date of Birth: 19th June 1984
Place of Birth: Beijing, China
Weight: 65 kg
Height: 178 cm
Hobbies: Reading books, Surfing Internet
Major Achievements:
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: 1st - Men's Doubles
Awards:
2010 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Cai Xiaoli, Gao Ning & Pang Xuejie)
2010 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Wang Yuegu)
2009 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Cai Xiaoli & Gao Ning)
2009 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (with Gao Ning)
2008 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (with Gao Ning, Cai Xiaoli, Jason Ho Jiaren & Pang Xuejie)
2008 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (with Gao Ning)
2008 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Li Jiawei)
2007 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (together with Cai Xiaoli, Gao Ning, Clarence Lee Tien Hoe, Jason Ho Jiaren & Lee Han Ting)
2007 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (together with Cai Xiaoli)
2007 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Li Jiawei)
2007 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Zhang Xueling)
2006 Meritorious Award - Men's Team (together with Cai Xiaoli, Clarence Lee Tien Hoe, Hendry Seah Jun Wen & Jason Ho Jiaren)
2006 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (together with Cai Xiaoli)
2006 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Zhang Xueling)
Zhan Jian
Name: Zhan Jian
Date of Birth: 10th January 1981
Place of Birth: Hu Bei, China
Weight:
Height: 1.74m
Major Achievements:
Awards:
Women's Team
Feng Tian Wei
Name: Feng Tianwei
Date of Birth: 31st August 1986
Place of Birth: Hei Long Jiang, China
Weight: 54 kg
Height: 163 cm
Hobbies: Listening to Music
Major Achievements:
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 1st (with Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2009 World Team Table Tennis Cup: Women's Team - 2nd (with Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: Women's Singles - Joint 3rd
2008 Women's World Cup: Women's Singles - 3rd
2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Women's Team - 2nd (with Li Jiawei & Wang Yuegu)
2008 World Team Table Tennis Championship: Women's Team - 2nd (with Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
Awards:
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Wang Yuegu)
2009 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei & Wang Yuegu)
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
Li Jia Wei
Name: Li Jia Wei
Date of Birth: 9th August 1981
Place of Birth: Beijing, China
Weight: 59 kg
Height: 172 cm
Hobbies: Listening to Music, Watching Movies, Playing the Piano
Major Achievements:
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 1st (with Feng Tianwei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2008 Tournament of Champions: Women's Singles - Joint 3rd
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: Women's Doubles - 1st
2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei & Wang Yuegu)
2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Women's Singles - 4th
2008 World Team Table Tennis Championship: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2007 World Individual Table Tennis Championship: Women's Doubles - 3rd (with Wang Yuegu)
2006 Tournament of Champions: Women's Singles - Joint 3rd
2006 Women's World Cup: Women's Singles - 3rd
2005 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: Women's Singles - 2nd
2004 Athens Olympic Games: Women's Singles - 4th
Awards:
2009 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Sun Beibei & Wang Yuegu)
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Sun Beibei)
2008 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Sun Beibei, Tan Paey Fern, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2008 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Wang Yuegu)
2008 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Yang Zi)
2007 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei, Tan Paey Fern, Tan Yan Zhen & Zhang Xueling)
2007 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2007 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Zhang Xueling)
2007 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Cai Xiaoli)
2007 Meritorious Award - Mixed Doubles (with Yang Zi)
2006 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2006 Meritorious Award - Women's Team (with Jenn Lim Peixin, Tan Paey Fern, Xu Yan & Zhang Xueling)
2006 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Zhang Xueling)
2005 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2005 Meritorious Award - Women's Team (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern, Xu Yan & Zhang Xueling)
2005 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Jing Junhong)
2004 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2004 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern, Xu Yan, Zhang Xueling)
2003 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2003 Meritorious Award - Women's Team (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern & Zhang Xueling)
2002 Singapore Sports Award - Sportswoman of the Year
2002 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern, Xu Yan, Zhang Xueling)
2001 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern, Zhang Xueling)
2001 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2000 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Jing Junhong, Tan Paey Fern)
2000 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
Li Siyun Isabelle
Name: Li Siyun Isabelle
Date of Birth: 28th August 1994
Place of Birth: Singapore
Weight: 55 kg
Height: 160 cm
Major Achievements:
Awards:
2010 Meritorious (Junior) Award - Girls' Singles
2009 Meritorious (Junior) Award - Girls' Singles
Sim Kaixin Zena
Name: Sim Kaixin Zena
Date of Birth: 6th November 1990
Place of Birth: Singapore
Weight: 58 kg
Height: 164 cm
Hobbies:
Major Achievements:
2009 World Team Table Tennis Cup: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
Awards:
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2007 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei, Tan Paey Fern, Tan Yan Zhen & Zhang Xueling)
2006 Meritorious (Junior) Award - Women's Singles
Sun Bei Bei
Name: Sun Bei Bei
Date of Birth: 28th January 1984
Place of Birth: Shan Dong, China
Weight: 57 kg
Height: 158 cm
Hobbies: Online Shopping
Major Achievements:
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 1st (with Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2009 World Team Table Tennis Cup: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: Women's Doubles - 1st
2008 World Team Table Tennis Championship: Women's Team - Silver
Awards:
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2010 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Yu Mengyu)
2009 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei & Wang Yuegu)
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Li Jiawei)
2008 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Li Jiawei, Tan Paey Fern, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2008 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Yu Mengyu)
2007 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Li Jiawei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Tan Paey Fern, Tan Yan Zhen & Zhang Xueling)
Wang Yue Gu
Name: Wang Yue Gu
Date of Birth: 10th June 1980
Place of Birth: Liao Ning, China
Weight: 60 kg
Height: 160 cm
Hobbies: Listening to Music, Shopping
Major Achievements:
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 1st (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
2009 World Team Table Tennis Cup: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
2008 ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals: Women's Singles - Joint 3rd
2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei & Li Jiawei)
2008 World Team Table Tennis Championship: Women's Team - Silver
2007 Tournament of Champions: Women's Singles - Joint 3rd
2007 World Individual Table Tennis Championship: Women's Doubles - 3rd (with Li Jiawei)
Awards:
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
2010 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2010 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Feng Tianwei)
2010 Meritorious Award - Men's Doubles (with Yang Zi)
2009 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei & Sun Beibei)
2009 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2008 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Sun Beibei, Tan Paey Fern, Wang Yuegu & Yu Mengyu)
2008 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2008 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Li Jiawei)
Yu Meng Yu
Name: Yu Meng Yu
Date of Birth: 18th August 1989
Place of Birth: China
Weight: 51 kg
Height: 167 cm
Hobbies: Listening to Music, Reading Books, Surfing the Internet
Major Achievements:
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 1st (with Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei & Wang Yuegu)
2009 World Team Table Tennis Cup: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixin Zena, Sun Beibei & Yu Mengyu)
2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships: Women's Team - 2nd (with Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei & Wang Yuegu)
Awards:
2010 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Feng Tianwei, Sim Kaixian Zena, Sun Beibei & Wang Yuegu)
2010 Meritorious Award - Women's Singles
2010 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Sun Beibei)
2009 Meritorious (Junior) Award - Girls' Singles
2008 Singapore Sports Award - Team of the Year Award (with Li Jiawei, Sun Beibei, Tan Paey Fern & Wang Yuegu)
2008 Meritorious Award - Women's Doubles (with Sun Beibei)
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