Chile Open: Kan Yo Repeats Brazilian Success

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Japan’s twenty-eight year old Kan Yo repeated the success he had enjoyed one week earlier at the Liebherr Brazilian Open in Belo Horizonte when, on Sunday 22nd April 2007, he captured the Men’s Singles title at the Liebherr Chile Open in Santiago.

At the semi-final stage he overcame Singapore’s Yang Zi before securing victory against Hong Kong’s Tang Peng in dramatic final that went the full seven games distance.

Back-to-back titles for Kan Yo and also consecutive titles for Hong Kong’s Tie Yana and Zhang Rui in the Women’s Doubles event. They won in Brazil and seven days later they succeeded in Chile beating compatriots Jiang Huajun and Lin Ling in the final. The victory in Santiago was their tenth Women’s Doubles title on the ITTF Pro Tour since they first won in Slovenia in January 2005.

However, for Tie Yana, the top seed in the Women’s Singles event and the champion in Brazil, there was no repeat success. She was beaten at the semi-final stage by colleague Jiang Huajun who progressed to win the title at the final expense of Japan’s Sayaka Hirano. The reigning Japanese national champion, Sayaka Hirano had beaten Singapore’s Sun Bei Bei in the semis with her fast attacking play capturing the hearts of the crowd.

Success for Hong Kong in the Women’s Singles event and also in the Women’s Doubles, where Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching succeeded; the beat top seeds, Singapore’s Gao Ning and Yang Zi in the final to collect their seventh career Men’s Doubles title on the ITTF Pro Tour.

Men’s Singles
Semi-Final: Kan Yo (JPN) bt Yang Zi (SIN) 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5
Semi-Final: Tang Peng (HKG) bt Jiang Tianyi (HKG) 11-8, 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
Final: Kan Yo (JPN) bt Tang Peng (HKG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-13, 3-11, 11-8

Women’s Singles
Semi-Final: Jiang Huajun (HKG) bt Tie Yana (HKG) 11-9, 11-4, 13-11, 11-9
Semi-Final: Sayaka Hirano (JPN) bt Sun Bei Bei (SIN) 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8
Final: Jiang Huajun (HKG) bt Sayaka Hirano (JPN) 11-7, 15-13, 11-7, 11-5.

Men’s Doubles
Final: Ko Lai Chak/Li Ching (HKG) bt Gao Ning/Yang Zi (SIN) -7, 7,7,9,-9,6

Women’s Doubles
Final: Tie Yana/Zhang Rui (HKG) bt Jiang Huajun/Lin Ling (HKG) 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8

Image: Kan Yo

Chile Open: Kan Yo Repeats Brazilian Success

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