2009 Asian Championships: China on Course
November 19, 2009

Jun Mizutani (JPN) Photo By Courtesy of ITTF

Courtesy of ITTF China remains on course to retain the Men’s and Women’s Team titles at the Asian Championships following semi-final successes on Wednesday November 18, 2009 in the Indian city of Lucknow. The men’s team recorded a three-one penultimate round victory over Hong Kong, while the women succeeded in even more impressive style. They beat Korea by three matches to nil.

Ko Lai Chak was the one bright light for Hong Kong; he beat Zhang Jike in the second match of the duel but defeats for Li Ching at the hands of Xu Xin and Zhang Jike plus a reverse for Jiang Tianyi against Ma Long cost Hong Kong dear.

An impressive performance by the Chinese men and even more impressive by the women against Korea; Liu Shiwen defeated Park Mi Young, Li Xiaoxia accounted for Kim Kyung Ah and Fan Ying brought matters to an end with victory over Dang Ye Seo.

Comfortable wins but for their adversaries anything but comfortable passages to the final; Japan in the Men’s Team event and Singapore in the Women’s competition were both stretched to the five match limit.

Japan defeated Chinese Taipei with Jun Mizutani the backbone of success beating both Chiang Peng-Lung and Chiang Chih-Yuan with Kaii Yoshida adding the vital win in the final duel. He beat Chiang Peng-Lung; the wins for Chinese Taipei came from Chuang Chih-Yuan in opposition to Kaii Yoshida and from Wu Chih-Chi against Kenta Matsudaira.

Meanwhile, for Singapore against Hong Kong it was very much a team effort with each member of the team recording one win each. Fang Ying and Wang Yue Gu both lost to Tie Yana but both beat Jiang Huajun with Sun Bei Bei adding the one further win; in the third match of the duel, she defeated Lin Ling.

Men’s Team Championship Division
Semi-Finals
China 3-1 Hong Kong;
Japan 3-2 Chinese Taipei

Positions 5-8
Korea 3-0 India;
DPR Korea 3-1 Singapore

Women’s Team Championship Division
Semi-Finals
China 3-0 Korea;
Singapore 3-2 Hong Kong

Positions 5-8
Japan 3-0 Thailand;
DPR Korea 3-1 Chinese Taipei

Click here to view more results and information from ITTF on the 2009 Asian Championships.