Kuwait Open: Titles for Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen

Monday, March 1, 2010

China’s XU Xin and LIU Shiwen won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Salwa Cup Kuwait Open on Saturday 27th February 2010.

At the final hurdle XU Xin (no.9 seed) beat compatriot MA Lin (no.3 seed) to clinch his first ever Men’s Singles title on the ITTF Pro Tour, seizing the opportunity presented. At the quarter-final stage he had suffered defeat at the hands of colleague WANG Liqin (no.4 seed) but was re-instated following the latter’s disqualification for a racket irregularity.

XU Xin secured victory over MA Lin in a full distance seven games encounter having one round earlier accounted for MA Long (no.1 seed), also from China and the defending champion.

A first success for XU Xin and a fourth for LIU Shiwen; the winner of three ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles titles in 2009 and the no.1 seed in Kuwait, she added to her collection by beating surprise finalist Japan’s Ai FUKUHARA in a thrilling seven games duel. Earlier, Ai FUKUHARA, seeded no.16, had beaten LIU Shiwen’s colleague, GUO Yan, seeded no.3, in the semi-finals.

Success in the Women’s Singles event for LIU Shiwen but in the Women’s Doubles competition she had to settle for second place; partnering DING Ning in an all Chinese final, the duo suffered a final defeat at the hands of GUO Yan and GUO Yue.

Meanwhile, it was the same for XU Xin in the Men’s Doubles event; in harness with WANG Liqin, the pair lost to MA Long and ZHANG Jike in the final.

Men’s Singles
Semi-Finals
XU Xin (CHN) bt MA Long (CHN) 14-16, 2-111, 13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8
MA Lin (CHN) bt ZHANG Jike (CHN) 12-10, 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5

Final
XU Xin (CHN) bt MA Lin (CHN) 10-12, 11-8, 10-12, 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 12-10

Women’s Singles
Semi-Finals
LIU Shiwen (CHN) bt CAO Zhen (CHN) 12-10, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6
Ai FUKUHARA (JPN) bt GUO Yan (CHN) 12-10, 9-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 13-11

Final
LIU Shiwen (CHN) bt Ai FUKUHARA (JPN) 11-7, 20-18, 6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-13, 11-3

Men’s Doubles
Final
MA Long/ZHANG Jike (CHN) bt WANG Liqin/XU Xin (CHN) 3-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8

Women’s Doubles
Final
GUO Yan/GUO Yue (CHN) bt DING Ning/LIU Shiwen (CHN) 11-9, 19-17, 5-11, 7-11, 11-6, 16-14

Read More: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=20638&Competition_ID=1912&

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