Chinese paddlers swept with the team championship titles at the Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
The Chinese thrashed Japan in both the sections, registering 3-1 and 3-0 wins in boys and girls categories. Zhendong Fan began in a whirlwind fashion against Masaki Yoshida with a 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 win and then Gaoyuan Lin thumped Yuto Muramatsu 11-3, 11-9, 11-4 to give China a 2-0 lead in the team competition in boys’ section.
But the Chinese perhaps didn’t reckon that Asuka Sakai could match their wits against Chenhao Xu 6-11, 13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9 to delay the inevitable.
Then Zhendong Fan took charge and countered the defensive Muramatsu well. Despite taking a game off his Chinese rival, Muramatsu couldn’t do much against a clever Fan, who slowed down his approach to give the Japanese a measure of his own medicine.
In the girls team event, Yuling Zhu gave a perfect start to China winning 3-0 against Mima Ito before Yuting Gu, though a little patchy, ran over Ayuka Tanioka for a similar score line. Without prolonging Japanese girls’ agony, Ruochen Gu put the issue beyond Miyu Maeda to win 3-1.
Earlier, Romanian boys outwitted South Korea 3-2 and USA downed Croatia 3-1 to end their campaign here at fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Among the girls, it was Chinese Taipei who finished fifth, beating Poland 3-1 and Germany defeated Hong Kong 3-2 to end behind them.
The Indian campaign in the team events ended on Tuesday with Indian girls and boys finishing 11th and 16th respectively.
Results: Junior Boys (Final): China bt Japan 3-1 (Zhendong Fan bt Masaki Yoshida 11-9, 11-5, 11-7; Gaoyuan Lin bt Yuto Muramatsu 11-3, 11-9, 11-4; Chenhao Xu lt to Asuka Sakai 11-6, 11-13, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11; Zhendong Fan bt YutoMuramatsu 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6).
Positions 5-8: Romania bt South Korea 3-2; USA bt Croatia 3-1.
Junior Girls (Final): China bt Japan 3-0 (Yuling Zhu bt Mima Ito 11-6, 13-11, 11-3; Yuting Gu bt Ayuka 11-9, 11-8, 11-2; Ruochen Gu bt Miyu Maeda 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4).
Positions 5-8: Chinese Taipei bt Poland 3-1; Germany bt Hong Kong 3-2.
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