June 10, 2009
Attack, the Best Form of Defense for Top Seeds at Japan Open
 Joo Se Hyuk, the no.1 seed in the Men's Singles event at the Japan Open. Photo By: Ayoade Ademakinwa |
Courtesy of ITTF Korea’s 29 year old Joo Se Hyuk and compatriot 27 year old Park Mi Young are the players in question, in what is quite an unusual situation in an era when the attacking player is very much in the ascendancy. |
Both are superb exponents of the backspin art but as any coach will tell you all defenders are different, Joo Se Hyuk and Park Mi Young are no exception to the rule.
The Difference
The major difference is of course in the forehand attack; Joo se Hyuk possesses a fearsome top spin strong while Park Mi Young is more demure; a forehand drive is her forte in that department and it is an area of her play that is making noticeable progress.
However, both face tough opposition and especially for Joo Se Hyuk, players who have proved themselves against backspin adversaries.
Adept Versus Defense
Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov occupies the second seeded position, a player with wins over Joo Se Hyuk on the ITTF Pro Tour, while the man in the next seeded place is no stranger to the vagaries of the Korean’s defensive art.
Compatriot Oh Sang Eun is the no.3 seed with the man at no.4 certainly being familiar with Joo Se Hyuk.
The person in question is Austria’s Werner Schlager, the player to beat Joo Se Hyuk in the 2003 Liebherr World Championships Men’s Singles final.
Equally Secure
Equally, the next four in line are more than competent against defense.
Japan’s Jun Mizutani is seeded no.5, Korean compatriot Yoon Jae Young is at no.6 with Austria’s Robert Gardos at no.7 and Mizutani’s compatriot, the effervescent Kaii Yoshida at no.8.
Experienced Problems
Opponents notably adept against defense but in the Women’s Singles event there are those who have experienced problems against the backspin art.
Notably, the Singaporean duo of Sun Bei Bei and Yu Meng Yu, seeded no.3 and no.5 respectively would not choose a backspin player if they had the option; while Japan’s Ai Fukuhara, seeded no.4, may not relish the possibility of a meeting with Park Mi Young.
At the recent Harmony China Open, Park Mi Young’s backspin compatriot, Kim Kyung Ah, caused her downfall.
Romanians
Equally, the Romanian’s Daniela Dodean and Elizabeta Samara, seeded no.6 and no.7 respectively will have their patience tested should either confront Park Mi Young. Dodean has the power, Samara has the skill but do they have the consistency to wear down the dancing Korean?
Extremely Competent
Five players in the top eight of the seeding who may not be totally at home against defensive player but there are two who are more than competent.
The most devastating is Korea’s Lee Eun Hee, seeded no.8, the right handed penholder who uses short pimpled rubber and one side of the racket only is outstanding against backspin play, while the player seeded no.2, Japan’s Sayaka Hirano, has proved herself the model of patience against the defender.
She won the Women’s Singles title at the German Open earlier in the year beating the Belarus defender, Viktoria Pavlovich, in the final and earlier in the year defeated O Ki in the final of the Women’s Singles event at the All Japan National Championships.
The name O Ki may not be that familiar, she is the former Chinese international and stalwart defender Wang Hui.
Change Tactics
Against Sayaka Hirano and Lee Eun Hee, solid defense may not be sufficient; the qualities of attack may well be needed but of course they do say: the best form of defense is attack.
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