For all the pullouts by top Chinese table tennis players days before the start of the WTT Star Contender Goa, three of the four finalists to battle for the two singles titles on Sunday are from that country.
The odd one out is also perhaps the most surprising of them all. Cheng I-Ching, the 31-year-old from Chinese Taipei ranked 31 in the world, capped off a punching-above-the-weight run this week with a 3-2 (10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 5-11) victory over Japan’s 24th-ranked Miu Hirano on Saturday.
Cheng's biggest win of this tournament also came against a Japanese when she took down Hina Hayata, the world No 6, 3-1 in the second round before getting past Portugal's world No 19 Fu Yu in straight games in the quarter-finals in the morning session on Saturday.
Cheng will run into Chinese top seed Wang Yidi for the title. Ranked No 4 in the world, Wang was given a run for her money by Japanese 14-year-old Miwa Harimoto but came through 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8).
Miwa might be ranked 41 in the world but she was the runaway crowd favourite here on Saturday night, partly also because she is the younger sister of the men's world No. 4 Tomokazu Harimoto. “Go Harimoto” came the frequent chant from the spectators. While Miwa turned things around spectacularly after being blown away in the first game and even led in the fourth, her Chinese opponent was a bit too solid in the decider.
{{/usCountry}}Miwa might be ranked 41 in the world but she was the runaway crowd favourite here on Saturday night, partly also because she is the younger sister of the men's world No. 4 Tomokazu Harimoto. “Go Harimoto” came the frequent chant from the spectators. While Miwa turned things around spectacularly after being blown away in the first game and even led in the fourth, her Chinese opponent was a bit too solid in the decider.
{{/usCountry}}Minutes earlier, Tomokazu too lost his last four clash against China's Lian Jingkun 3-1 (11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5). Joining the world No 7 in the all-Chinese clash for the men's title will be Lin Shidong, ranked 24th, who breezed past France's Felix Lebrun 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-4). The 16-year-old Lebrun, world No 70, also comes from a table tennis family. His elder brother Alexis (ranked 28) is also on the professional tour while his parents too played the sport and train their boys back home in France.
In the mixed doubles final, Miwa endured more hearbreak. Partnering compatriot Togami Shunsuke, the Japanese duo lost to Korea’s Jang Woojin and Jeon Jihee 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7).
Results:
Men's singles semi-finals
Lian Jingkun (CHN) beat Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) 3-1 (11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5)
Lin Shidong (CHN) beat Felix Lebrun (FRA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-4)
Women's singles semi-finals
Wang Yidi (CHN) beat Miwa Harimoto (JPN) 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Cheng I-Ching (TPE) beat Miu Hirano (JPN) 3-2 (10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 5-11)
Mixed doubles final
Jang Woojin/Jeon Jihee (KOR) beat Togami Shunsuke/Miwa Harimoto (JPN) 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7)