| Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor |
| Defending Champion Fails to Retain Title |
 Sunday 1st October 2006
Sinkiang Women’s World Cup
No.4
Defending Champion Fails to Retain Title
Olympic champion, World champion and the player who heads the ITTF Women’s World Rankings, Zhang Yining, failed in her bid to emerge as the champion at the Sinkiang Women’s World Cup in Urumqi, China on Sunday 1st October 2006.
Seeking an unprecedented fifth title in the competition, she lost in the final to her Chinese nation team colleague, Guo Yan, the player currently ranked number three in the world.
Guo Yan recovered from a three games to one deficit to secure victory 13-15, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6.
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It was the first time that Guo Yan has won the title and it was some consolation for the defeats that she suffered at the hands of Zhang Yining in 2005. She lost to Zhang Yining in the final of the Women’s Singles event at the Volkswagen 48th World Championships in Shanghai and in the final of the Heng Da Women’s World Cup later in the year.
“I was in a good mental shape today”, said Guo Yan. “When I was losing I just kept fighting and in the seventh game when I was leading I tried to forget about the score and just play one point at a time.”
In the semi-finals Guo Yan had ended the progress of Hong Kong’s Tie Yana whilst Zhang Yining had beaten Singapore’s Li Jia Wei.
Both results were predictable with Zhang Yining having won all ten of her previous meetings against Li Jia Wei in world ranking events, whilst on the four occasions that Guo Yan had faced Tie Yana she had only lost once, that occasion being in the group stage of the Heng Da Women’s World Cup in December 2005.
Zhang Yining beat Li Jia Wei 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 whilst Guo Yan overcame Ti Yana in similar fashion. She won 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 12-14, 8-11, 11-8.
Defeat for Tie Yana and there was further sadness for the player who had been in such outstanding form during the first two days of play. In the contest to determine third place she lost to Li Jia Wei.
Li Jia Wei won 8-11, 14-12, 11-4, 11-4, 11-9.
It was the tenth time the Women’s World Cup has been staged and for the tenth time it was a Chinese player who stood on the top step of the medal podium.
Guo Yan now joins an illustrious group of Women’s World Cup champions. Deng Yaping and Li Ju have won the title once, Wang Nan has won three times, Zhang Yining has four successes to her credit and now the name Guo Yan adorns the honours board.
For full results and reports visit www.ittf.com
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