Singapore抯 Isabelle Li maintained a cool and calm approach to win the Cadet Girls?Singles title on Thursday 18th September 2008 at the Taiyuan Junior Open.
Throughout, she remained resolute, no unnecessary displays of emotion, just a totally focused well mannered attitude.
At the final hurdle in the Sports Centre of the Shanxi University, she beat Hong Kong抯 Li Ching Wan in five games to arrest the title.
Isabelle Li won 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-5.
Neat and Compact
Fourteen years old, Isabelle Li is a defensive player; she is neat and compact, moves well and is prepared to attack with her forehand when the occasion arises.
The basis is there for a player to develop in the mode of China抯 Fang Ying; a defensive player with a wide range of services and a rocket propelled first forehand attack.
Difficult Semi-Final
In the opening round she overcame Hong Kong抯 Ng La Ke before securing victory in a hard fought penultimate round duel against Korea抯 Youn Ji Young.
揅ertainly, that was the most difficult match in the whole tournament, she抯 a backspin player like me so it was really hard? said Isabelle Li in a very quiet tone of voice, befitting someone who remains calm.
Patience
揚laying defenders you have to be patient, I was patient today and I think my attack was slightly better? continued Isabelle Li. 揑n the final I felt confident, I抎 played Li Chan Wan before and won; that was in July in Singapore at the Asian Junior Championships.?br>
Mentally Strong
Technically Isabelle Li is very correct but it is her mental stability that shines through. 揗y head was clear today? she concluded; certainly that was most apparent.
She has a stoic character, there could be a revolution taking place and Isabelle Li would not be moved.
Li Ching Wan Impressed
En route to the gold medal she impressed, en route to the final the bespectacled Li Ching Wan impressed.
She accounted for China抯 Ma Sifan and Egypt抯 second seed, Nadeen El Dawlatly; a fine effort by the young lady from Hong Kong but against Isabelle Li she met her match.
Gold was in the hands of the young lady who attends the Singapore Sports School and is coached by Cui Wei; the name is Isabelle Li, the 2008 Taiyuan Junior Open Cadet Girls?Singles champion.
Singapore抯 fifteen year old Pang Xue Jie won the Cadet Boys?Singles title at the Taiyuan Junior Open on Thursday 18th September 2008, beating China抯 Liu Chang, Egypt抯 Omar Bedir and Korea抯 Noh Je Min en route to a final encounter with a second Korean, Cho Jae Jun.
In the gold medal match Pang Xue Jie prevailed in five games to collect his third career Cadet Boys?Singles title on the ITTF Junior Circuit. In 2007 he won in Bahrain and Doha.
Pang Xue Jie defeated Cho Jae Jun 18-16, 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-6.
En route Cho Jae Jun had defeated China抯 Tan Siqi, Korea抯 Lee Seung Yeop and China抯 Yang Xin.
Athletic Contest
The match was a contest between two exciting young prospects in the world of table tennis, both left handed, both athletic and both noisy!
They encouraged themselves verbally between every point. Table tennis has been compared on occasion with boxing. It is two people fighting against each other; that was the Cadet Boys?Singles final in the Sports Hall of the Shanxi University of Finance and Economics.
Two young men giving one hundred per cent effort, total commitment; committed to the very end, it was not a heavyweight contest, more lightweight, speed a quick reactions to the fore.
Well Mannered
However, do not be deceived by the analogy to boxing, the two young men are not brawling antagonists.
The victor Pang Xue Jie is one of the most well mannered and respectful young men you could ever wish to meet. He is modest in victory, magnanimous in defeat.
Tough Final
揊or sure the toughest match was the final? said Pang Xue Jie. 揑t抯 the first time I抎 ever played Cho Jae Jun but I抎 seen him play before; I knew how he played.?br>
No doubt he did, he played in a very similar fashion to Pang Xue Jie!
Reasons for Victory
揑 think the main reason I won today was that my service and first attack was good? continued Pang Xue Jie. 揟he biggest problem was returning his services; his services were good, difficult to read.?br>
Pang Xue Jie coped with the situation but the crucial factor in the contest was that he won the close games. 揑 won the first, second and fourth games by only two points? he explained. 揥inning those three games so closely made all the difference.?br>
Group Defeat
Victory for Pang Xue Jie who had not gone through the whole tournament without his problems; in the group stage, one day earlier, he had lost to Lee Seung Yeop of Korea and only progressed to the main draw on games ratio.
He was within a whisker of not even qualifying for the second stage!
A Good Day for Cui Wei
Like Isabelle Li, who some twenty minutes earlier had won the Cadet Girls?Singles crown, Pang Xue Jie attends the Singapore Sports School and is coached by Cui Wei.
It was a good day in Taiyuan for Singapore and both victors, who spoke English fluently, showed themselves to be fine athletes, fine adverts for Singapore, fine adverts for table tennis.
http://www.ittf.com./competitions/competitions2.asp?Competition_ID=1719&category=WJC
