Chinese might too much for Japan in team championships

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.