EAST ASIAN GAMES – China’s Teams Clean Sweep but Sweat
Posted by valsus on December 12, 2009
Source : http://www.badzine.info/
Both Chinese men and women’s team won the team competition of the East Asian Games in Hong Kong, but Korea (men’s) and Chinese Taipei (women’s) didn’t go down without a fight.
China won both team events, as expected. But, with some of the best players who had stayed home or on the bench during the competition, the Chinese youngsters provided their coaches and public with some scary moments.
In the women’s team final, China was facing Chinese Taipei, with their former world’s number one pair of Chien Yu Chin and Cheng Wen Hsing. And the latter did take the second point of the tie, after Xia Jingyun beat Hsu Ya Ching in straight games. Chien and Cheng beat the in-form Ma Jin and Wang Xialoi, which was a surprise after the Chinese pair’s impressive results this fall.
With both teams level at 1-1, it was Fu Shanshan (another youngster) who delivered the crucial point for China, thanks to a tight victory in the first game, 22-20 before rolling through the second 21-9 against Pai Hsiao Ma.
Last but not least, Cheng and Zhao – two of the most experienced players in spite of their young age – delievered the winning point over Wang and Hsieh.
Du Pengyu gives the final victory to China
In the men’s team event, Lin Dan was there to lead the Chinese armada, who had rocked the previous evening in the women’s event. Lin and Chen Long took the singles points against Korea – who, in contrast, had not sent their best singles players. But the duo of Kwon Yi Goo and Kim Ki Jung made light work of Chai Biao and Zhang Nan, giving pressure to China’s last men’s singles player Du Pengyu (photo). And Du was close to losing to another Korean veteran newcomer, Choi Ho Jin, who finally bowed in three games, 7-21, 21-18, 16-21 to give the final say to China.
It was a lucky win for the Chinese, because if Choi (photo, left) had created the upset, all would have relied on a young pair of Sun and Tao who were to play Korea’s very solid new pair of Shin and Cho. However, Du’s win provided China with the final 3-1 success and the gold medal in this team competition.
“I am thrilled to have won this as this is the first time I win the East Asian Games,” said Lin Dan to Sina News after the victory before adding, with a smile: “Now I hope I can go shopping but it‘s not easy as there are always reporters taking photos all over,” he said, hinting that he had not met Xie Xingfang yet in Hong Kong. He and Chen Jin will be the main favourites in the individual event, which kicked off on Friday.
