China’s Zhang Yining confirmed her status as the undisputed number
one female player in the world of table tennis by winning the Women’s
Singles title at the Tournament of Champions in Changsha on Sunday 11th
January 2009.
The reigning Olympic champion was in dominant mood and showed her illustrious adversaries no mercy whatsoever.
Having beaten Singapore’s Wang Yue Gu on the opening day in five
games, she then dealt out the same punishment to the latter’s
compatriot, Li Jia Wei, in the semis and Chinese national team
colleague, Li Xiaoxia in the final.
Zhang Yining beat Li Jia Wei 3-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4 before overcoming Li Xiaoxia 12-10, 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4.
History Repeated
For
Li Jia Wei it was history repeated and she must wonder what she has to
do to beat Zhang Yining; the meeting in Changsha was their 22nd in
world ranking events.
It was the 22nd victory for Zhang Yining.
Better Start
On
several occasions Li Jia Wei has started a contest against Zhang Yining
all guns blazing; attacking quickly from the forehand and using her
backhand to good effect to create heavy topspin, she been known to make
the better start.
In Changsha that was the story; she won the
first game but then as in previous encounters lost a close second. The
close win, as previously, saw the mental balance change, Zhang Yining
assumed control, she won the vital points, Li Jia Wei could only marvel
at the level of excellence.
Easy Mistakes
"I
came into form rather slowly in the first game, making too many easy
mistakes against Li Jia Wei", said Zhang Yining. "I started to play
better in the third game, Li Jia Wei played well today but I won the
key points."
Certainly that was the situation.
Weather
"Also
the weather here bothered me a lot, it was difficult to get used of the
cold and wet condition in the south", added Zhang Yining. "The
temperature in the stadium was the same as the outdoor and my hands
felt cold at the beginning of the match; furthermore, there is the new
glue which is taking time to get used to; I cannot find my rhythm as
quickly as before."
Rallies
The
longer the rally, the more Zhang Yining is the favourite, the backhand
whether attacking or blocking the ball is so safe and it is the latter
skill that is surely the major advancement in her play since being
crowned the Olympic champion in Athens in 2004.
Blocking and
controlling the ball from the backhand, she is like the veritable brick
wall whilst from the forehand; she is as devastating as she has been
throughout the present century. The stroke is now shorter, quicker,
more consistent than when she first entered the ITTF Women’s World
Rankings in December 1997.
In the final, Zhang Yining proved too
safe and too consistent for Li Xiaoxia, a play of like mode and one of
the few players in recent times to cause the Olympic champion headaches.
Previous Results
On
the ITTF Pro Tour, Li Xiaoxia is the last person to beat Zhang Yining;
the occasion being the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals in Beijing in
December 2007 when Li Xiaoxia won in six games before progressing to
capture the title and a Magaton saloon car.
However, the victory
in Beijing was one of only two successes in what is now 17 attempts;
the other being in February 2007 in the quarter-finals of the Women’s
Singles event at the Liebherr Qatar Open in Doha.
Semi-Final Success
A
six games reverse in the final for Li Xiaoxia who had overcome
Romania’s Elizabeta Samara on the opening day before recording a five
games semi-final success against Chinese team compatriot, Guo Yue.
Li Xiaoxia beat Guo Yue 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8.
It was the 17th time Li Xiaoxia and Guo Yue had met in world ranking events; it was the 10th time Li Xiaoxia had won.
Source: www.ittf.com
