January 12, 2009
Zhang Yining, the Champion of Champions
 Zhang Yining, the champion of champions Photo By: Qi Dazheng |
Courtesy of ITTF The reigning Olympic champion was in dominant mood and showed her illustrious adversaries no mercy whatsoever. |
Having beaten Singapore’s Wang Yue Gu on the opening day in five games, she then dealt out the same punishment to the latter’s compatriot, Li Jia Wei, in the semis and Chinese national team colleague, Li Xiaoxia in the final.
Zhang Yining beat Li Jia Wei 3-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4 before overcoming Li Xiaoxia 12-10, 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4.
History Repeated
For Li Jia Wei it was history repeated and she must wonder what she has to do to beat Zhang Yining; the meeting in Changsha was their 22nd in world ranking events.
It was the 22nd victory for Zhang Yining.
Better Start
On several occasions Li Jia Wei has started a contest against Zhang Yining all guns blazing; attacking quickly from the forehand and using her backhand to good effect to create heavy topspin, she been known to make the better start.
In Changsha that was the story; she won the first game but then as in previous encounters lost a close second. The close win, as previously, saw the mental balance change, Zhang Yining assumed control, she won the vital points, Li Jia Wei could only marvel at the level of excellence.
Easy Mistakes
“I came into form rather slowly in the first game, making too many easy mistakes against Li Jia Wei”, said Zhang Yining. “I started to play better in the third game, Li Jia Wei played well today but I won the key points.”
Certainly that was the situation.
Weather
“Also the weather here bothered me a lot, it was difficult to get used of the cold and wet condition in the south”, added Zhang Yining. “The temperature in the stadium was the same as the outdoor and my hands felt cold at the beginning of the match; furthermore, there is the new glue which is taking time to get used to; I cannot find my rhythm as quickly as before.”
Rallies
The longer the rally, the more Zhang Yining is the favorite, the backhand whether attacking or blocking the ball is so safe and it is the latter skill that is surely the major advancement in her play since being crowned the Olympic champion in Athens in 2004.
Blocking and controlling the ball from the backhand, she is like the veritable brick wall while from the forehand; she is as devastating as she has been throughout the present century. The stroke is now shorter, quicker, more consistent than when she first entered the ITTF Women’s World Rankings in December 1997.
In the final, Zhang Yining proved too safe and too consistent for Li Xiaoxia, a play of like mode and one of the few players in recent times to cause the Olympic champion headaches.
Previous Results
On the ITTF Pro Tour, Li Xiaoxia is the last person to beat Zhang Yining; the occasion being the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals in Beijing in December 2007 when Li Xiaoxia won in six games before progressing to capture the title and a Magaton saloon car.
However, the victory in Beijing was one of only two successes in what is now 17 attempts; the other being in February 2007 in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Singles event at the Liebherr Qatar Open in Doha.
Semi-Final Success
A six games reverse in the final for Li Xiaoxia who had overcome Romania’s Elizabeta Samara on the opening day before recording a five games semi-final success against Chinese team compatriot, Guo Yue.
Li Xiaoxia beat Guo Yue 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8.
It was the 17th time Li Xiaoxia and Guo Yue had met in world ranking events; it was the 10th time Li Xiaoxia had won.
Men's Singles Results
Semi-Final:
4-2: WANG Hao CHN defeated MA Lin CHN (4-11,11-9,8-11,5-11,11-9,7-11,-)
Semi-Final:
4-3: WANG Liqin CHN defeated BOLL Timo GER (11-9,11-9,11-13,11-4,13-15,6-11,9-11)
Final:
4-1: WANG Hao defeated WANG Liqin CHN (11-5,8-11,11-2,11-6,11-7,-,-)
Women's Singles
Semi-Final:
4-1: ZHANG Yining defeated LI Jia Wei SIN (3-11,12-10,11-7,12-10,11-4,-,-)
Semi-Final:
4-1: LI Xiaoxia CHN defeated Guo Yue CHN (11-7,6-11,11-8,11-9,11-8,-,-)
Final:
4-1: ZHANG Yining defeated LI Xiaoxia CHN (12-10,11-5,11-5,9-11,11-4,-,-)
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