China completed a clean sweep of titles at the VOLKSWAGEN World Junior Championships in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Earlier in the week they had secured both the Boys’ and Girls’ Team titles; on the concluding day of proceedings they collect,
China completed a clean sweep of titles at the VOLKSWAGEN World Junior Championships in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Earlier in the week they had secured both the Boys’ and Girls’ Team titles; on the concluding day of proceedings they collected all five individual titles on offer.
FAN Zhendong won the Boys’ Singles title, in an event that saw China provide all four semi-finalists; in the penultimate round he accounted for FAN Shengpeng before overcoming LIN Gaoyuan in the final, the latter having booked his place in the gold medal contest by defeating XU Chenhao. It was for 15 year-old FAN Zhendong his first ever appearance in a VOLKSWAGEN World Junior Championships; for LIN Gaoyuan it was his fourth and the third time in succession he had finished in runners up spot. Victory for FAN Zhendong meant he left Hyderabad with three gold medals and one silver.
In addition to success in the Boys’ Team event, he partnered LIU Gaoyang to the Mixed Doubles title, the pair beating LIN Gaoyuan and GU Ruochen in the final; whilst in the Boys’ Doubles event, he joined forces with FAN Shengpeng, finishing in runners up spot. The duo lost to LIN Gaoyuan and XU Chenhao in the final.
Meanwhile, ZHU Yuling emerged successful in the Girls’ Singles event beating Germany’s Petrissa SOLJA in the semi-finals, before overcoming colleague GU Yuting in the final. It was the third time in succession that ZHU Yuling had appeared in a Women’s Singles final at a Volkswagen World Junior Championships; one year ago in Bahrain she was the runner up, having emerged successful in 2010 in Bratislava.
Earlier, she had partnered GU Yuting to Girls’ Doubles success; the pair overcoming GU Ruochen and LIU Gaoyang in the final. It was the fourth consecutive time in four appearances in a Volkswagen World Junior Championships that GU Yuting had won the Girls’ Doubles titles.
Boys’ Singles – Semi-Final: FAN Zhendong (CHN) bt FAN Shengpeng (CHN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 11-4, LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) bt XU Chenhao (CHN) 11-4, 14-12, 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 5-11, 11-6. Final: FAN Zhendong (CHN) bt LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4
Girls’ Singles – Semi-Final: ZHU Yuling (CHN) bt Petrissa SOLJA (GER) 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7. GU Yuting (CHN) bt GU Ruochen (CHN) 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5. Final: ZHU Yuling (CHN) (CHN) bt GU Yuting (CHN) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8
Boys’ Doubles – Final: LIN Gaoyuan / XU Chenhao (CHN) bt FAN Shengpeng / Fan Zhendong (CHN) 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Girls’ Doubles – Final: GU Yuting / ZHU Yuling (CHN) bt GU Ruochen / Liu Gaoyang (CHN) 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4
Mixed Doubles – Final: FAN Zhendong / LIU Gaoyang (CHN) bt LIN Gaoyuan / GU Ruochen (CHN) 4-11, 4-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9
(courtesy ITTF)
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Photo: ZHU Yuling (courtesy ITTF)