BEIJING -- All-conquering Chinese paddlers turned the Olympic test event a walkover here on Wednesday as the leaders claimed both the men's and women's team title at the 2007 International invitational tournament.
China's Ma Long (L),Chen Qi (C) and Hao Shuai stand on the podium to celebrate the men's team title at Peking University Gymnasium, December 19, 2007. [Xinhua] |
The success followed a clean sweep from the Chinese national team of the ITTF ProTour Finals last week in the same venue, namely the Beijing University Gymnasium which is to hold next year's Olympic table tennis competitions.
Fielding a reserving squad, the Chinese men's team of Ma Long, Chen Qi and Hao Shuai took an easy win in men's team final over South Korea's young paddlers 3-0, while their women's counterpart concluded the round-robin competition with three victories in as many encounters after beating Singapore 3-0.
China's Guo Yan(L), Li Xiaoxia(C) and Guo Yue stand on the podium to celebrate the women's team title at Peking University Gymnasium, December 19, 2007. [Xinhua] |
The Hong Kong women's team settled for the silver medal with two wins after losing only to China, while Singapore finished the third with a sole victory over the Europeans, who lost all their four outings.
After Tuesday's match against Hong Kong's Li Ching and Ko Kai Chak, the new pair of Ma Long and Chen Qi, who paired up with each other on a temporary base, presented some even much smoother cooperation and breezily beat South Korean pair Lee Jin Kwon and Lee Jung Woo 11-3, 11-9, 11-9. The match only progressed in less than 14 minutes.
Earlier in the second singles match between the two sides, Hao Shuai defeated Lee Jung Woo 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, losing Chinese team's only set in the whole final, after his teammate Ma Long captures a quick win over Cho Eon Rae by 11-7, 11-9, 11-6 within only 15 minutes.
The Europe United took the men's team bronze earlier on Wednesday afternoon by beating Hong Kong, China 3-2.
Li Ching lost Hong Kong's best chance to earn the bronze as he was beaten 3-2 by Portuguese Andrej Gacina in the fourth match of the men's team consolation final, wasting a 7-3 lead in the fourth set to succumb with 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.
In the previous games, Hong Kong's Ko Lai Chak lost to Croatian Tiago Apolonia 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8 before Tang Peng pulled one point back by beating Gacina 1-9, 9-11, 9-11, 4-11.
In the pair game, Li Ching partnered Ko Lai Chak to roll over Vladimir Samsonov and Apolonia 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, but a fifth game lose, seeing three-time European champions Samsonov win over Tang Peng 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, ended the third-place match in favor of the Europeans.
