In true Churchillian style, England’s 16 year old Gavin Evans stands alone, ready to face the foe; he is the one non Chinese player to book a semi-final place in the Boys’ Singles event at the Hong Kong Kong Junior Open.
He might not have to “fight them on the beaches” as the British Prime Minister eulogised is the House of Commons in 1942 as Great Britain stood alone against the threat of German invasion.
However, if he is to reach the final then he may well have to offer “blood, toil, tears, and sweat”.
Great Effort
Certainly to reach the penultimate stage on Saturday 8th August 2009 he had to show the qualities expounded by Winston Churchill and victory over Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre in the quarter-finals may not have been his “finest hour” but it was a splendid performance.
Seeded no.3, Gavin Evans, who won the first three games, withstood a spirited comeback from the Paraguayan to book his place in the semi-finals having one round earlier defeated China’s Han Luinisi in six games.
Outstanding Form
In the penultimate round he faces Chen Xi, a player in splendid form; a fact clearly endorsed by his two victories on the fourth day of action.
In five games the rising Chinese star recorded a second round victory over the Japanese sensation in Hong Kong, Yuto Muramatsu before, by the same margin, beating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An, the no.12 seed and reigning World Junior Champion.
China versus China
England versus China in the top half of the draw whilst, in the lower half, it is China versus China.
Zhou You overcame Hong Kong’s Hung Wah Tak and Chinese Taipei’s Chang Shun-Hung before ending the hopes of Egypt’s second seeded Omar Assar, the player who leads the ITTF Boys’ Singles Standings.
Feng Ji
At the penultimate stage Zhou You meets Feng Ji who booked his place in the semi-finals with a six games win over Japan’s Asuka Saki, a five games win in opposition to Chinese Taipei’s Hung Tze-Hsiang and a six games victory over England’s eighth seeded Liam Pitchford.
Meanwhile, in the Boys’ Doubles event the semi-finals also see Chen Xi and Zhou Yu in action; in the top half of the draw they meet Chinese Taipei’s Chang Shun-Hung and Chen Chien-An; whilst in the lower half Hong Kong’s Chiu Chung Hei and Wong Chun Ting confront Hung Tzu-Hsiang and Lai Yi-Yao, also from Chinese Taipei.
Upsets
The two pairs in the lower half of the draw both caused upsets.
Chiu Chung Hei and Wong Chun Ting recorded a quarter-final victory over second seeds Marcelo Aguirre and Omar Assar whilst Hung Tzu-Hsiang and Lai Yi-Yao secured a second round win over third seeds England’s Gavin Evans and Liam Pitchford.
El Alamein
Defeat for Gavin Evans but perhaps he can take fortitude from the reverse and heed the words of Winston Churchill after the Battle of El Alamein in 1942.
“Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.”
Source: ittf.com
