Kiwi Wins Women's Final - Oceania Table Tennis Decided

New Zealand table tennis No1 Karen Li found herself in three finals at the Oceania table tennis championships and as the two of the matches were completed she must have wondered if she was going to win anything at all.

She had been beaten in the mixed final by Australian rival Miao Miao and her partner William Henzell and then in the women’s doubles final with Yang Sun by Miao Miao (with partner Jian Fang Lay) again. However Li was able to quickly put those losses aside and win the final she really wanted – the women’s singles title beating Miao Miao in a hard fourth four games to two battle.

The victory will help put Li’s name forward in front of the Commonwealth Games selectors, who rejected her nomination for the Beijing Olympics two years ago, but should see value in her appearance in Delhi after she beat Australia’s best in the singles final and also in the teams final.

In the match Li quickly moved out to a two game lead winning the first 11-7 and the second 11-8. But Miao Miao was quick to come back and won the next two. Li won the following game easily and then in the final game Li was ahead 10-5, but dropped five match points in a row and looked like she would have to go to another game. Eventually she won on her seventh match point 13-11 to take the title, her second after winning the event in 2006.

In the men’s section top ranked Australian, Henzell proved he was the best male player in Oceania winning all three titles on offer. He picked up the men’s doubles with Justin Han over unheralded Kiwis Josh Alexandre and Matt Lowe, combined with Miao Miao in the mixed and then beat countryman Han in straight games in the singles.

2010 KVB Kunlun ITTF-Oceania Table Tennis Championships, Auckland.

Results:

(New Zealand unless noted)

Men’s singles semifinals:

William Henzell(Australia) bt George Tang(Australia) 11-3 11-4 11-2 11-8, Justin Han(Austraila) bt Kyle Davis(Australia) 5-11 11-5 11-4 11-9 11-5.

Final:

Henzell bt Han 11-6 11-9 11-4 10-12 11-9

Women’s singles semifinals:

Miao Miao(Australia) bt Sun Yang 11-2 11-6 11-7 11-8, Karen Li bt Jian Fang Lay(Australia) 11-3 11-8 11-4 11-8.

Final:

Li bt Miao Miao 11-7 11-8 7-11 8-11 11-6 13-11.

Men’s doubles semfinals:

William Henzell/Justin Han(Australia) bt Ryan Zhu/Nathan Lowe 8-11 11-3 10-12 11-4 11-4, Josh Alexandre/Matt Lowe bt Phillip Xiao/John Cordue 11-9 11-7 7-11 14-16 15-13.

Final:

Henzell/Han bt Alexandre/Lowe 11-9 11-6 10-12 11-5.

Women’s doubles semifinals:

Miao Miao/Jian Fang Lay(Australia) bt Jenny Hung/ Michelle McCarthy 12-10 11-1 11-4, Karen Li/Yang Sun bt Stephanie Sang/Zhenhua Tan(Australia) 11-7 11-6 11-9.

Final:

Miao Miao/ Lay bt Li/ Sun 11-4 11-8 11-8.

Mixed doubles semifinals:

William Henzell/Miao Miao(Australia) bt John Cordue/Jenny Hung(New Zealand) 11-8 11-7 11-8, Nathan Lowe/Karen Li bt Justin Han/Jian Fang Lay(Australia) 11-8 7-11 8-11 11-7 11-9.

Final:

Henzell/Miao Miao bt Lowe/Li 10-12 11-6 11-5 11-8.