World junior champions pack off senior champions

Reigning world junior champion Miyuu Kihara-Miyu Nagasaki of Japan saved five match points to pack off incumbent world champions and home favourites Sun Yingsha-Wang Manyu of China 3-11, 4-11, 11-3, 14-12, 14-12 in the women’s doubles semi-finals of the World Tour Grand Finals in Zhengzhao, China.

The teenage prodigies, aged 15 and 17 respectively, will play Koreans Jeon Jihee-Yang Haeun in the final.

The victory over their more experienced opponents would also see the Japanese duo finishing the year at the top of the world rankings. Immaterial whether they manage to win the final, it has been a remarkable year for the Miyuu-Miyu, who also won the World Tour Austria as well as the Asian Junior Championships.

 “I just want to focus on my own matches. To me they are just any other opponents, not World champions. We played out our level today. We are happy to beat the World champions,”  said Miyu.

After dropping the first two games, Miyuu-Miyu took the third game convincingly but it was battle all the way in the next two with the Chinese pair going stroke-for-stroke with the youngsters.

 “The key to the win is we played at our level. We had very good communication on the court. We gave each other support,” said Miyuu as the pair look forward to the final.

Their rivals for the title, Jihee- Haeun came back from a game down to beat the Chinese Taipei duo of Chen Szu-yu-Cheng Hsien-Tzu 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 in their semi-finals.

It will be China versus Japan in the mixed doubles final as Chinese top seeds Xu Xin-Liu Shiwen cruised past Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju-Cheng I-Ching 11-3, 131-11, 11-1 in less than 30

Their rivals in the final, were equally impressive. Jun Mizutani-Mima Ito needed just 22 minutes to pick apart Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kem 11-9, 11-2, 15-13.

Former world champions and second seeds Fan Zhendong-Xu Xin overcame stiff resistance from teammates Liang Jingkun-Lin Gaoyuan 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 to book their place in the men’s doubles final.

The other semi-final was a much closer affair with the Chinese Taipei pair of Liao Cheng-Ting-Lin Yun-Ju defeating German’s experienced Timo Boll-Patrick Franziska 2-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10.

It was the end of the road of defending champion Harimoto Tomokazu in the men’s singles. The 16-year-old, who became the youngest ever champion last year, was beaten by China’s Xu Xin. The world number one had to fight tooth and nail against the talented Japanese youngster before winning 11-6, 13-15, 11-5, 3-11, 9-11, 13-11, 13-11.  The victory also ensured that Xu Xin’s unbeaten run over the Tomokazu remained intact.

Joining Xu Xin, who is chasing his third World Tour Grand Finals title, in the semi-finals stage is Chinese teammate Lin Gaoyuan. Gaoyuan defeated another teenage sensation – Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei.

“My wrist was already uncomfortable before the match started but the match was already fixed and I couldn’t change it. There were a lot of fans waiting to watch me play against Harimoto today. Initially I told my coach that I wanted to change the match to Saturday to rest my wrist. If I only had two doubles and won both 3-0 I would have time to rest it. But everyone was looking forward to this match, including everyone who came down to watch today. I didn’t think the whole stadium would be filled. Winning the match today at the end definitely was not easy,” said Xu Xin

The women’s singles quarter-final produced a shock as top seeded Sun Yingsha of China was beaten by compatriot Wang Yidi. Yidi stunned the 19-year-old Yingsha 13-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8.

Teammate, Chen Meng, looking for a hattrick of titles, defeated Liu Shiwen 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-1 in her semi-final tie.

“Fantastic match. We both played quite well. But still I made some mistakes on the court. When leading 8-5 in the third game, I became a bit anxious and lost the next few points very quickly. When she managed to come back to 3-2, I just told myself to concentrate on matches and not think about the score,”  said Chen Meng

RESULTS

Men’s singles

Round of 16: Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Ger) 13-11, 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 8-11, 11-4; Hugo Calderano (Bra) bt Jun Mizutani (Jpn) 11-6, 11-9, 12-14, 11-4, 11-6; Ma Long (Chn) bt Jeoung Youngsik (Kor) 8-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3; Harimoto Tomokazu (Jpn) bt Patrick Franziska (Ger) 14-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4

Quarter-finals: Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Lin Yun-Ju (Tpe) 13-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Xu Xin (Chn) Harimoto Tomokazu (Jpn) 11-6, 13-15, 11-5, 3-11, 9-11, 13-11, 13-11

Women’s singles

Round of 16: Chen Xingtong (Chn) bt Feng Tianwei (Sgp) 11-3, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5; Mima Ito (Jpn) bt Cheng I-Ching (Tpe) 10-12, 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-3, 12-10; Chen Meng (Chn) bt Qian Tianyi (Chn) 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 12-14, 13-11, 11-8, 11-6; Sun Yingsha (Chn) bt He Zhuojia (Chn) 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-4

Quarter-finals: Chen Meng (Chn) bt Liu Shiwen (Chn) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-1; Mima Ito (Jpn) bt Hitomi Sato (Jpn) 11-7, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5; Wang Yidi (Chn) bt Sun Yingsha (Chn) 13-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8; Wang Manyu (Chn) bt Chen Xingfong (Chn) 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4

Men’s doubles

Semi-finals: Liao Cheng-Ting-Lin Yun-Ju (Tpe) bt Timo Boll-Patrick Franziska (Ger) 2-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10; Fan Zhendong-Xu Xin (Chn) bt Liang Jingkun-Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9

Women’s doubles

Semi-finals: Miyuu Kihara-Miyu Nagasaki (Jpn) bt Sun Yingsha-Wang Manyu (Chn) 3-11, 4-11, 11-3, 14-12, 14-12; Jeon Jihee-Yang Haeun (Kor) bt Chen Szu-yu-Cheng Hsien-Tzu (Tpe) 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8

Mixed doubles

Semi-finals: Xu Xin-Liu Shiwen (Chn) bt Lin Yun-Ju-Cheng I-Ching (Tpe) 11-3, 13-11, 11-1; Jun Mizutani-Mima Ito (Jpn) Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kem (Hkg) 11-9, 11-2, 15-13

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