Hong Kong dominates Doubles

Italian Open update

Saturday, May 4, 2002

ITTF Press Release:

Courmayeur, Ialay, 4 May 2002. Hong Kong players seems to have special skills in doubles. Hong Kong pairs have already proven their world class at the Pro Tour, and they are doing it again at the Italian Open.

Two Hong Kong pairs on Saturday reached the semi-finals – and they will meet each other.

CHEUNG Yuk and LEUNG Chu Yan met Dane Allan BENTSEN and Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO) and they won quite easily 3-1. LI Ching/KO Lai Chak had more serious troubles against the two Swedes Peter KARLSSON and Fredrik HAKANSSON.

The Hong Kong pair went to 2-0 but then the Swedes found the key to get in control and they evened to 2-2.

In the 5th game however KO and LI was on the road again and they ousted the two European Team Champions from Sweden.

Ryu Ousted

Courmayeur, Italy, 4 May 2002. The 2nd seeded in women’s singles RYU Ji Hye (KOR) had to surrender already in the round of the last 16, losing to LAU Sui Fei (HKG).

The match went all the way to a close 7th game, and RYU even had 4 match points from 10-6. LAU came back though and winning 6 points in a row she took the game and the match 12-10.

Only Tamara BOROS (CRO) and Mihaela STEFF (ROM) can prevent the women’s singles from being an Asian matter.

Top seed BOROS will meet LI Jia Wei (SIN) while STEFF faces the defensive Korean KIM Bok Rae.

Gatien Getting Hot

Courmayeur, Italy, 3 May 2002. Olympic doubles bronze medallist and former World Champion Jean-Philippe GATIEN has not played on the Pro Tour for a long time, but it seems like he hasn’t lost his international touch. In the second round he overcame the young upcoming German Lars Hilscher and the longer GATIEN goes the more dangerous he becomes.

GATIEN was down 2-1 against HIELSCHER but in the final games the French never really looked back and he won the 6th game 11-6 to take the match 4-2.

GATIEN’s next opponent is also young but already with a good record. CHUAN Chi-Yuan (TPE) is seeded 2nd and at the last Pro Tour, in Qatar, he reached the final.

“CHUAN’s game is based on speed like mine is. I will have to vary a lot and take care not to play too fast. My level did not yet reach the top after a period of rest and vacation, so I just try to enjoy playing”, says GATIEN.

The other top seeds CHIANG Peng-Lung (TPE) and Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO) are also still there.

Bilingual Double

Courmayeur, Italy, 3 May 2002. You can play an excellent double without understanding each other. Elke WOSIK (GER) and Eva ODOROVA (SVK) proved that at the Italian Open being only an inch from qualifying for the quarter finals.

Paired only for this occasion they made their way through the qualification – with two coaches since the players and their coaches did not have any common languages. It happens that two players from different associations both bring their coaches but it doesn’t happen often that they don’t speak together at all in the breaks.

In the round of the last 16 they took the match against KIM Bok Rae and WON Young Ah (KOR) all the way to a close 5th game. At the end however two easy mistakes gave the Koreans the victory.

In men’s doubles another pair created for the occasion seems to have an outsider chance. Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO) and Dane Allan BENTSEN made an impressive performance beating Germans Stefan FETH and Thomas KEINATH easily 3-0.

Top seed pairs CHIANG Peng-Lung/CHANG Yen-Shu (TPE) and CHEUNG Yuk/LEUNG Chu Yan (HKG) both advanced to the quarter finals as well.

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Hong Kong dominates Doubles

Ryu Ousted

Gatien Getting Hot

Bilingual Double

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