Eyes Focused on Olympic Games, Funchal a Stopover En Route to London
September 1, 2010

Kasumi Ishikawa untroubled on the opening day Photo By: Cirlio Borges

Courtesy of ITTF Quarter-finalist in the H.I.S. World Championships in Yokohama in 2009 and bronze medalist in Moscow one year later at the Liebherr World Team Championships; Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa is the white hot favorite to win the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the Funchal Junior Open. Predictably she made an impressive start to her program of matches in Madeira on Wednesday September 1, 2010.

In the first phase of proceedings, the gifted 17 year old, who is no stranger to the hotbed of international competition, was untroubled.

She opened her account with a straight games win over Portugal’s Mariana Gonçalves, then followed suit with success by the same margin in opposition to Russia’s Daria Chernova with a comprehensive victory in a similar manner against Gabriela Nuñes, also from Portugal, concluding the day’s work.

Encouraged by Mother
Kasumi Ishikawa, now an integral member of the Japanese National Team started to play table tennis at the age of seven; she was encouraged by her mother, Kumi Ishikawa, a former player.

"I have come to Madeira to get the points I need to reach the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals”, said Kaumi Ishikawa. “After this I’m going to South America.”

Kasumi Ishikawa will play in the Ecuador Junior Open which starts on Wednesday 8th September 2010.

Needs More Points
"I want to go to the London Olympics, for that I need more points to gain a higher ranking; in this competition I have the opportunity to play against players of my age, the ITTF Pro Tour is more difficult.”

Very difficult; in July she won the Women’s Singles title on the ITTF Pro Tour at the Morocco Hasan II Open!