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Taiwan's table tennis players remain medal hopefuls

Taiwan's Chen Jing in action against Marie Svensson of Sweden yesterday. Chen won 25-23, 21-6, 22-20. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Taiwan won some and lost some in table tennis competitions yesterday but for the most part stayed on top. Female medal hopeful Chen Jing (陳靜) made progress and the men's doubles team advanced to the quarterfinals.

In her first match, Chen Jing inched past Sweden's Marie Svensson. As the two pushed above 21, Chen finally outplayed Svennson after she made two long returns. The final score was 25-23.

It was in the second round that Chen Jing further established her game, playing a powerfully fast round and beating her 21-6. The first match against Svensson lasted 11 minutes and 56 seconds but the second round was won in 6 minutes, 24 seconds.

Chen slowed down slightly in the third set, allowing Svennson almost too much room, but in the end she tightened her play after Svennson bobbled again when the two were neck-and-neck at 20, winning 22-20.

Chen, one of Taiwan's strong hopefuls for a medal, will play her second-round match today against Toth Krisztina from Hungary, who is ranked No. 20. Chen advanced to become one of 32 competitors (Round of 32), who will be reduced to 16 (Round of 16) before the quarterfinals stage. Chen is ranked third.

Xu Jing (徐競), 32, another top-flight competitor for Taiwan slipped up during yesterday's competition, falling out of the tournament. Xu was unable to hold her ground against Japan's springy An Konishi, 20, who beat her in three sets 21-15, 21-12, 21-15.

Xu had a similar sluggish performance on Tuesday in the women's doubles that pushed her and Chen Jing out of the competition.

While support for Taiwan's table tennis players was slim in the stands, Minister of Education Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗) managed to show up for the match, waving his hands in the air and cheering Chen Jing on energetically.

"She's my hero," Tzeng told the Taipei Times after the match. "She's really in command."

While Tzeng returned to Taiwan yesterday, he said he was learning a lot from the Olympics.

"I was impressed with Australia's handling of the Olympics and the thoughtful preparation that has gone into the event.

"People have a good feeling about this," he said.

Meanwhile, in the evening men's doubles competition, Chiang Perng-lung (蔣彭龍) and Chang Yen-shu (張雁書) advanced to the Round of 16, winning 21-19, 21-15, 22-20 against Michael Maze and Finn Tugwell of Denmark.

The team from Denmark tried to break their losing streak in the third game, leading 12-3, as Taiwan's team caught their breath. Gradually Chiang and Chang came back, clawing their way back, point for point, in a show of their mental strength, to win the match.

The pair will go against Korea's Lee Chui-seung and Yoo Seung-min in today's quarterfinals match.

Both teams were confident going into the quarterfinals.

"We have beaten them before; I guess it's going to be a close match, as it was today, but I hope it will be a comfortable one," Lee said.

When asked what his expectations of today's competition were, Chiang said: "We've played the major players before. I am feeling quite confident. I just want to wait and see."

The match between the two today promises to be a tight one. Lee and Yoo came in third in the men's doubles in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and in Atlanta in 1996.

Chang and Chiang took first place last year in the Qatar Open.
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