The last non Chinese player to win the Women’s Singles event at a
World Championships was Hyun Jung Hwa of Korea; the next to achieve the
feat will also be from Korea.
It will not be in 2009 and it
may well be when Zhang Yining has hung up her racket and arthritis
invalides my right forefinger but note the name Yang Ha Eun.
Fifteen years old she is the youngest member of the Korean team on duty at the H.I.S. World Championships in Yokohama.
Furthermore, it is a name that has already been noted.
Different Class
Still
in the cadet age group category she was in a class of her own on the
ITTF Junior Circuit at the Bahrain Junior Open and Doha Junior Open
earlier this year, winning every event she entered and never being
seriously threatened.
No-one seriously the challenged the Korean
teenager; furthermore, in 2008, she qualified for the ITTF Junior
Circuit Finals in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Looked at Home
On
the morning of Monday 27th April 2009 she practised with colleague Dang
Ye Seo, a vital member of the Korean bronze medal winning team at the
2008 Beijing Olympics and she looked quite at home practising with such
illustrious opposition.
In fact you could be forgiven for
thinking she was the senior partner; only 15 years old she was the
taller of the two combatants.
No Emotion
Quite
simply she went about her business in a thoroughly professional manner,
there was no hint of emotion, the look was doleful, that of a female
Tibor Klampar but totally focused on the task set; the task was to hone
perfection.
Short quick, neat, compact strokes, shakehands grip,
close to the table; the style that of a modern day Chinese female
player; it is quite the opposite of Hyun Jung Hwa, whose penhold grip
style had struck gold in Gothenburg in the previous century.
Preferred Grip
"Yes,
most of our young girl players are shakehands grip players like Yang Ha
Eun", said Hyun Jung Hwa, now the coach for the Korean women’s team.
"Yang Ha Eun is very good from the backhand, very safe; she’s needs
more power but she is fast and quick."
The power will no doubt
come, the basic for advancement is present; the technique is that of a
textbook, the footwork is trademark Korean.
Penholders
Only
"Twinkle Toes" Lee Eun Hee of the Korean female players in Yokohama is
a penhold grip player in the tried and trusted style of the Asian
country; the rest are all shakehands grip players whilst for the men,
the only one with penhold grip is "Speedy Gonzalez" Ryu Seung Min.
Times
have changed but there were three penhold grip players from Korea in
action who did impress me in the splendid environs of the Yokohama
arena and perhaps they have a future.
Showed Promise
A
certain Yoo Nam Kyu, Lee Chul Seung and Hyun Jung Hwa looked players of
potential; the fourth member of their elite group, Kang Hee Chan, did
not take to the courts.
He supervised proceedings as his fellow
coaches showed skills that took them to the highest levels, had not
deserted their hands and with such an illustrious quartet to advise,
the future of Yang Ha Eun is in safe hands.
Youth Olympics
One day a World Champion perhaps but before that an Olympic champion?
Surely she is one of the favourites for the Girls’ Singles title at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore?
Source: www.ittf.com
