Li Dominates New Zealand Table Tennis Championships
Saturday 11 October 2008, 6:52PM
By Dave Worsley
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Despite being a shock admission from the New Zealand Olympic games team Karen Li was still able to put in a big enough effort to walk away with victories in the two draws she played in at the New Zealand Table Tennis Championships in the Hutt Valley.
For Li, 31 representing North Harbour, it was her fourth singles title since 2000 and her seventh in total.
Li beat Jenny Hung of Canterbury in the semifinals in straight games and then accounted for Jung Mi Kim of Auckland in five games after dropping the first game 10-12. She then came back strongly to dominate the remainder of the match with Kim sometimes bemused by the power of Li.
Li also triumphed in the mixed title combining with Brad Chen(Nth Harbour) defeating Kim again and her partner Jong Eub Han of Canterbury in five games.
The men’s singles title was contested between Wei Zhong Jiang of Auckland and Canterbury’s Jon Eub Han. Han had not lost in New Zealand for a number of years, although he competed mainly in the veterans while Jiang had recently arrived in New Zealand via a role in the sport in Croatia and will now coach in Auckland.
Jiang was able to beat Han, who had earlier knocked out Brad Chen in six games. However it was Jiang winning the final in reasonably comfortable fashion in five games 11-5 11-7 6-11 11-7 11-5 to win his first national title.
Last year’s men’s singles winner, Shane Laugesen missed out on reaching the finals after having a hard fought match with Jiang in the semis.
The men’s doubles final had the Auckland pair of Laugesen and Lui Chao defend their title beating the Wellington team of Julian Wootton and Wayne Gear in straight games while in the women’s final the Canterbury duo of Sun Yan and Jenny Hung beat Sophie Shu(Auckland) and Sarah Ho(Waikato) in straight games for the title.
Results:
Open Women’s Singles Semifinal:
Karen Li(Nth Harbour) bt Jenny Hung(Canterbury) 11-6 11-3 11-6 11-5, Jung Mi Kim(Auckland) bt Michelle McCarthy(Waikato) 11-4 11-6 11-2 11-8.
Final:
Li bt Kim 10-12 11-4 11-7 11-4 11-3.
Open Men’s Singles Semifinal:
Wei Zhong Jiang(Auckland) bt Shane Laugesen(Auckland) 8-11 11-7 11-6 11-8 8-11 12-10, Jong Eub Han(Canterbury) bt Brad Chen(Nth Harbour) 4-11 12-10 7-11 11-7 11-3.
Final:
Jiang bt Han 11-5 11-7 6-11 11-7 11-5
Open Men’s doubles final:
Shane Laugesen/Lui Chao(Auckland) bt Julian Wootton/Wayne Gear(Wellington) 11-6 11-5 11-5.
Open Women’s doubles final:
Sun Yan/Jenny Hung(Canterbury) bt Sophie Shu(Auckland)/Sarah Ho(Waikato) 11-9 11-5 11-6.
Open Mixed final:
Brad Chen/Karen Li(Nth Harbour) bt Jong Eub Han(Canterbury)Jung Mi Kim(Auckland) 13-15 11-3 11-6 4-11 14-12.
Women’s U21 singles semifinals:
Jenny Hung(Canterbury) bt Jie Feng(Auckland) 11-5 11-3 11-9, Sophie Shu(Auckland) bt Michelle McCarthy(Waikato) 12-10 13-11 11-9.
Final:
Hung bt Shu 11-6 11-6 11-8
Women’s U21 doubles final:
Jenny Hung(Canterbury)/Sophie Shu(Auckland) bt Michelle McCarthy(Waikato)/Jie Feng(Auckland) 11-9 6-11 11-9 16-14.
Men’s U21 doubles final:
Kevin Wu/Nathan Lowe(Auckland) bt Jonathan Yam(Canterbury)/Terry Zheng(Auckland) 8-11 11-9 12-14 18-16 11-7
Men’s U21 singles final:
Nathan Lowe(Auckland) bt Lingnan Kong(Auckland) 11-7 11-8 11-2