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2017 ITTF Challenge, Slovenian Open

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Cheng Hsien-Tzu out of the shadows

29 Apr 2017

Increasingly an established member on the Chinese Taipei Women’s Team, to some extent the support act for Cheng I-Ching and Chen Szu-Yu; Cheng Hsien-Tzu emerged the player to upset the order of merit at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s Singles event at the 2017 ITTF Challenge Slovenian Open in Otocec on the evening of the Saturday 29th April.

The young lady who celebrated her 24th birthday on Tuesday 18th April and occupied the no.23 seeded spot, beat Britt Eerland of the Netherlands, the no.11 seed, in a dramatic full distance seven games encounter determined by the very narrowest of margins (2-11, 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10).

Cheng Hsien-Tzu who beat Britt Eerland in a titanic duel (Photo: Nittaku)

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Notably it was the third time that Cheng Hsien-Tzu and Cheng I-Ching had met on the international scene; the balance is now one in favour of Chinese Taipei.

At the 2011 World Junior Championships in Bahrain, Cheng Hsien-Tzu prevailed when they met in the Girls’ Singles event; one year later on the ITTF World Tour in Japan, in the Under 21 Women’s Singles competition, the verdict had gone in favour of Britt Eerland.

One quarter-final Women’s Singles upset but there were no more; the exploits of the Korean qualifiers, Lee Eunhye and Park Joohyun coming to an end. Both experienced six games defeats.

Lee Eunhye found the defensive skills of Japan’s Hitomi Sato, the top seed, too stable (8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8); whilst for Park Joohyun it was the attacking attributes of Hungary’s Georgina Pota, the no.4 seed, that ended adventures (13-15, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6).

Success for Hitomi Sato and there was also success for her doubles partner, Honaka Hashimoto, likewise a backspin play; the no.5 seed, she accounted for Canada’s Zhang Mo, the no.12 seed, in five games (11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5).

At the semi-final stage Hitomi Sato meets Cheng Hsien-Tzu, Georgina Pota faces Honaka; the semi-finals are scheduled to start on Sunday 30th April at 10.00am (local time).

Challenge Series 2017 Slovenian Open Hitomi Sato Honoka Hashimoto Georgina Pota Britt Eerland Cheng Hsien-Tzu

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