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GUANGZHOU, China: A clinical China downed Hong Kong in the semifinal
of the world team table tennis championships here Saturday, moving
another step closer to retaining their crown.
China’s supremacy was never in doubt, as the
world’s top three players quickly demolished Hong Kong, 3-0, in
front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Hong Kong’s top ranked paddler Li Ching tried
valiantly at 2-0 down to halt World Cup champion Ma Lin’s charge
in the opening tie.
Li, world No. 11, threw everything at Ma, but
the world No. 2 held his nerve and eventually clinched the third
set, 19-17.
World champion Wang Liqin downed his opponent,
Hong Kong’s rising star Tang Peng, before world No. 1 Wang Hao
swiftly wrapped up proceedings.
Despite the victory, Wang Liqin, the oldest
member of his team at 29, said he was feeling the pressure at these
worlds where he must perform as he campaigns to win over Chinese
team officials for Olympic qualification.
“I’m concerned I won’t play well enough
and the coaches maybe won’t choose me to play at the Beijing
Olympics, so I have to concentrate hard on all of my games,” the
softly spoken Wang said after his straight-sets win.
In the finals, China will face either archrivals
South Korea or Japan, which takes to the tables later Saturday for
their semifinal showdown.
China’s equally formidable women, undefeated
at these championships since 1993, take on Singapore in their final
also later Saturday.
China, the giants of the sport, is using these
worlds as the perfect warm up for the Beijing Games where they are
aiming for total dominance.
-- AFP
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