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TABLE TENNIS: Defending champ cruises through in straight games

Defending gold medalist Zhang Yining of China advanced easily in the women’s table tennis singles competition yesterday, needing only 25 minutes to beat Belarus’ Viktoria Pavlovich in straight games.

Zhang, the top-ranked player in the world, dominated her 34th-ranked opponent with speedy returns and near-flawless execution but insisted she had to work hard.

“When she chops at the ball, the shots are long and have a lot of spin and she doesn’t hit them high. It’s difficult to hit them hard,” Zhang said after the 11-7, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 win. “It’s like picking the bones out of a piece of fish, you have to be patient until you get the chance to attack.”

Huang I-hwa (黃怡華) of Taiwan lost to the 45-year-old Ni Xia Lian (倪夏蓮) of Luxembourg 1-4 yesterday.

Huang, ranked No. 59 in the world, lost the first game 6-11 against world No. 42 Ni, but regained her momentum in the second game and beat Ni 11-5.

In the third game, Huang fell back, continually making errors, and finally lost the game 4-11 after losing five points in a row.

In the key fourth game, Huang earned a three-point lead at 9-6, but Ni fought back to bring the duel to a 10-10 tie. Huang eventually lost 11-13.

The fifth game unfolded in a similar manner: Huang was ahead of her opponent at 5-2, but Ni pulled the game to a tie at 6-6. Although Huang later got one point, she lost the remainder and the game 7-11.

In the second round of the men’s singles Taiwan’s Chiang Peng-lung lost to North Korean Kim Hyok-bong.

China’s Zhang said the singles event would be a challenge.

“The team competition was only a good beginning,” she said. “This singles competition will be very tough. We’ll definitely face some difficulties. So we can only take it one match at a time.”

Zhang faces No. 12 Ai Fukuhara of Japan in the Round of 16 today. Fukuhara advanced by beating Hu Melek of Turkey 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5.

“I have known her since I was a kid,” Fukuhara said of Hu, adding they trained together on the Liaoning provincial team in China. “We are actually good friends.”

The Netherlands’ Li Jie and Singapore’s Feng Tianwei also advanced and will face off today.

Sixth seed Feng Tian Wei, fresh from winning a silver for Singapore in the team event, was rarely troubled against former China player Dang Ye Seo, competing for South Korea, winning 4-0.
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