Excelling All Expectations, Penultimate Day Belongs to Korean Teenager

The previous best a second round exit in Spain, when beaten by Japan’s Misaki Morizono; the penultimate day of play, Friday 22nd May, at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Zagreb (Croatia) Open belonged to Korea’s Choi Hyojoo.

Not only did the 17 year old win the Under 21 Women’s Singles title, she booked her place in the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles event and in the final of the Women’s Doubles.

Playing in her first ever ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles quarter-final, she accounted for Luxembourg’s vastly experienced Ni Xialian, the no.24 seed; at 51 years old, three times the age of Choi Hyojoo.

Surely that must be a first in the history of the ITTF World Tour!

Choi Hyojoo prevailed in a closely contested seven games duel (13-15, 9-11, 15-13, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4) to reserve her place in the penultimate round.

Beat Top Seeds 
A surprise result in the round of the last eight in the Women’s Singles event, it was the same scenario at the semi-final stage of the Women’s Doubles competition.

Not seeded, in partnership with Jung Yumi, the duo overcame the top seeded German partnership of Irene Ivancan and Shan Xiaona in five games (11-13, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7) to reserve their place in the final where colleagues Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun await.

Occupying the no.2 seeded position in the draw, Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun overcame the Russian defenders, Maria Dolgikh and Polina Mikhailova, the no.3 seeds in their semi-final contest, likewise in a full distance duel (11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 13-15, 11-5).

First Time 
“I’m very happy because for me this is the first time that I have reached a final on the World Tour“, said Jung Yumi. “We had a good and long preparation, in Korea we have many tournaments and excellent doubles, so competition between us is very tough; here in Zagreb, we have a good combination of soft defence and strong attack.“

Overturned Previous Resuts 
Success against expectations, in the remaing quarter-final contests it was the higher seeded player who succeeded but with one result that could be considered a surprise.

Yang Haeun, the no.7 seed beat Turkey’s Hu Melek, the no.9 seed (9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7). The outcome was as status predicted but it was the first time that Yang Haeun had beaten Hu Melek in a World ranking tournament.

The pair had met twice before, both times in Qatar, in 2010 in the Under 21 Women’s Singles event, one year later in the Women’s Singles; on both occsasions Hu Melek had prevailed.

Mima Ito and Shan Xiaona 
Meanwhile, in the two remaining Women’s Singles quarter-finals it was success for Japan’s Mima Ito and Germany’s Shan Xiaona.

Mima Ito, the no.4 seed, beat Sabine Winter (11-8, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, like Shan Xiaona from Germany and the no.18 seed; whilst Shan Xiaona, the no.10 seed, ended the progress of Portuguese qualifier Shao Jieni. Shan Xiaona won in six games (11-8, 11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5).

Success for Shan Xiaona means it is the second time she has reached an ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles semi-final, for Mima Ito it is her third; whilst for Yang Haeun her sixth penultimate round appearance.

Semi-Finals 
At the semi-final stage Choi Hyojoo meets Mima Ito, Yang Haeun opposes Shan Xiaona.

By: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Edito

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