Zhang Yining guards China's glory while Europeans takes other three all
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-12 09:20

Earlier on Saturday, Oh, 28, had paired up with compatriot Lee Jung Woo Saturday afternoon to show exit to Chinese pair Wang Liqin and Chen Qi, the reigning Asian champions who partnered with each other for less than four months.

It's the first time in the ten-year history of ITTF ProTour finals that three out of four events having seen non-Chinese paddlers making the finals.

Also it's only the second finals where Chinese pairs failed to reach finals in both men's and women's dobules events of the table tennis finale.

Last time the doubles finals seeing none of Chinese paddlers ran back to 2001 when Oh claimed the men's doubles championships together with retired Korean strong-man Kim Taek Soo while Le Eun Sil and Ryu Ji Hae won the women's title.

"It has been processing and resulted in a much easier way than I expected," said Zhang, who had to enter the 240,000 US dollars event with a wildcard after playin less than enough games in this season's professional tour.

The final of women's singles event has been underlined as a match played between two players who learnt to play table tennis together.

Li Jia Wei, just one year elder than Zhang, started to play table tennis in Beijing before moving to Singapore at an age of 14.

"She's long been a good player. Her forehand play is one of the best in the world," commented Zhang Yining while saying Li and she have known each other since their kindergarden-hood.

But Zhang simply proved herself the best women player in the world with consistent, positive and tactically astute.

Trailing 5-2 after opening the match, Zhang fought a desperate beating back, lost none of the counterattacks to level the points on 7-7 and never looked back.

The last seconds scare came in the fourth set when Li claimed three points in a row to tie 7-7 and again wrote off another 2 points lead of Zhang, but the top-rated Chinese paddler fared powerful topspin again to force a forehand play from Li played under the net before winning it 11-9.