|
Zhang Yining guards China's glory while Europeans takes other three all
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-12 09:20
FUZHOU, Southeast China, December 11 (Xinhua) -- World number one Zhang
Yining guarded the glory of China's table tennis, while other three events of
the ITTF ProTour Grand Finals have all won by Europeans.
Newly-crowned World Cup holder Timo Boll has been the biggest winner as he
took both the men's singles and doubles title of the yearending event.
Before beating Belgian veteran Jean Michel Saive for the winner' s prize
money of 38,000 US dollars, the Germany's "golden boy" had paired up with fellow
German Christian Suss to overcome top seeds Lee Jung Woo and Oh Sang Eun of
South Korea in five sets for the doubles title.
With Sunday's double wins, the 24-year-old underlined his superiority among
Europeans and even in the world, as he went through three thrilling full-set
wins past China's high-rating players Wang Liqin, Ma Lin and Wang Hao days ago
before winning the world cup title.
For the counter part, however, the final defeat snapped a recovering killer's
run of Saive after the oldie stunned top seed Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus in
his opening round and upset South Korea's Oh Sang Eun en route to the final.
On the women's part, Zhang Yining, who has completed a "grand slam" sweep
this summer after winning the world championship in Shanghai, proved herself the
better one playing consistent topspin after beating former Beijing team mate Li
Jia Wei in straight sets.
Zhang's victory has been the sole one for China in this year's ITTF
season-ending event after all fellow Chinese lost their elimination matches on
Saturday.
Guo Yue and Guo Yan have come out Saturday the first Chinese ousted from the
finals after the newly fixed pair were beaten 4-2 in the women's doubles first
round by Chinese-born Gao Jun and Shen Yanfei, who later on Sunday came out the
final winners after beating South Korea's Kim Bok Rae and Kim Kyung Ah 4-1.
Teenage upstart Ma Long then became the last Chinese sacrifice in the Tour
finale after losing his quarter-final encounter with in-form South Korean Oh
Sang Eun, losing 11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9.
|
