12 Oct 2016

Three titles, there was success for the host nation on the second day of play, Monday 10th October, at the 2016 Thailand Para Open Championships in Pattaya; Anurak Laowong and Rungroj Thainiyom emerged successful as their top seeded status advised; however, for Wijittra Jaion first place was not to be anticipated.

She won Women’s Singles Class 4-5; in a group organised event she remained unbeaten, causing an upset of note by beating Korea’s Jung Younga bronze medallist at the recent Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Maintaining her focus, she overcame Jung Younga in a full distance five games duel (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 13-15, 11-6); it was the only defeat Jung Younga suffered, the silver medal was her lot.

Success for Wijittra Jaion against the odds, for Anurak Laowong and Rungroj Thainiyom it was according to expectations. Anurak Laowong beat colleague and no.2 seed, Yuttajak Glinbanchuen (11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6) to seize the Men’s Singles Class 3 title; whilst in the final of Men’s Singles Class 6, Rungroj Thainiyom beat Korea’s Park Hongkyu (11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-3).

One surprise winner, there were four more; Japan’s Yumi Ono, having finished in first place in her group ahead of Hong Kong’s Wong Pui Kei and top seed Yumi Ono, also from Japan, maintained her good form and her ascendancy over Wong Pui Kei.

In the group stage she had beaten Wong Pui Kei in three straight games (11-9, 12-10, 11-6), in the final it was in one game more (8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9).

Surprise winners in the Women’s Singles events; it was the same in the Men’s Singles competitions with top seeds having to settle for runners up spot.

Masachika Inoue, like Yumo Ono from Japan, beat colleague and top seed Katsuyoshi Yagi (13-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8) to claim the Class 7 title; whilst Chinese Taipei’s Lin hun-Ting won Class 10 beating Malaysia’s Mohamad Azwar Bakar in the final (8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6) and Hong Kong’s Wan Wai Lok was named the Class 11 champion. At the final hurdle he overcame Takashi Takeda, also from Japan (11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8).

Meanwhile, in the remaining events it was success for the top seeded players.

In the Women’s Singles competitions, Korea enjoyed notable success. Yoon Jiyu won Class 2-3, Kim Kunhea secured top prize in Class 9. Similarly, Josephine Medina of the Philippines won Class 6-8, Israel’s Karmit Dor was anointed the Class 10 champion.

Status prevailed, in seven of the Men’s Singles events it was the same scenario.

Additional to Anurak Laowong and Rungroj Thainiyom; Russia’s Evgenii Riazantsev won Class 1-2, Korea’s Kim Kyunggun prevailed in Class 4, Germany’s Jörg Didion in Class 5.

Likewise in Class 8 it was success for Arufuahirokazu Tateishi, whilst in Class 9, the top prize finished in the possession of Tonnie Heijnen.

2016 Thailand Para Open Championships: Latest results from Pattaya

Paralympics 2016 Thailand Para Open