February 18, 2009
Iranian Wins Classic Final as Koreans Dominate Final Day
 Three titles on the final day in Qatar for Yang Ha Eun. Photo By: Adel Hakouz |
Courtesy of ITTF |
In Bahrain, Yang Ha Eun won both the Girls’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles titles; in Doha she did exactly the same again. Once again the talented teenager ruled supreme.
She beat Russia’s Yana Noskova in the final of the Girls' Singles event and Singapore’s Isabelle Li in the final of the Cadet Girls' Singles competition.
Never a Decider Needed
It was a quite incredible performance by the Korean, who coached by her mother was never exposed to a deciding game in any of her singles matches in the first two ITTF Junior Circuit tournaments of the year.
Against Yana Noskova in the final of the Girls’ Singles event, she won 11-8, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 (matches being best of seven games); while in the final of the Cadet Girls’ Singles competition against Isabelle Li she succeeded 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (matches being best of five games).
Offered No Charity
Similarly, Kim Dong Eun, as he had been in Bahrain, offered no charity; in the final of the Cadet Boys’ Singles event he overcame compatriot Cho Jae Jun in three straight games.
He won 11-6, 11-3, 13-11.
One of the Best Ever
Convincing final victories but in the Boys’ Singles event, the decision rested on the proverbial knife-edge with Noshad Alamiyan beating Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre in one of the closest final ever witnessed in the history of the ITTF Junior Circuit.
It was a classic. Noshad Alamiyan won 6-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 14-12.
Justification of ITTF Global Junior Program
A second Boys’ Singles final in consecutive tournaments underlining the growing class of the Asian teenager; in Bahrain his gold medal opponent had been Egypt’s Omar Assar in Doha it was a Paraguayan.
The fact that those three countries had representatives competing in high class finals sends a clear message that the ITTF Global Junior Program is, as the title suggests, having a global effect.
Traditional Home for Gold
However, the most successful country at the end of the day in Doha was one of the traditional strongholds of table tennis, Korea; their players collected a total of six titles on the final day.
In addition to her success in the Girls’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles events, Yang Hae Eun partnered Kim Min Young to gold in the Girls’ Doubles event beating Singapore’s Isabelle Li and Sweden’s Josefin Lund in the final recording a straight games 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 victory.
Similarly in the Boys’ Doubles final it was a straight games success for Korea; the duo of Chang Dong Gyu and Kim Ji Hwan beat top seeds, Omar and Khalid Assar in style. They won 11-6, 11-9, 11-8.
Sixth Title
Five titles for Korea and the sixth came in the Cadet Boys’ Doubles event in what had to be Korean gold with both pairs in the final coming from the Asian country.
The verdict went in favor of Cho Jae Jun and Kim Dong Hyun who beat colleagues Jang Woo Jin and Kim Dong Hyun to pocket gold.
Gold for Hong Kong China
One title for Iran, six for Korea and one for Hong Kong China; in the final of the Cadet Girls’ Doubles event, Ng Ka Yee and Li Ching Wan beat the Belarus pairing of Katsiaryna Baravok and Mayia Kuchuk to fly the Hong Kong China flag high.
Noshad Alamiyan (left) who beat Marcelo Aguirre (right) in a classic Boys’ Singles final.
Photo By: Adel Hakouz
| Download the latest Flash Player to view content. |