05/09/2012        2012 Thailand Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Two appearances on the ITTF Junior Circuit and two titles; now, following proceedings at the Thailand Junior and Cadet Open in Pattaya, which concluded on Wednesday 9th May 2012, it is now three out of three for 18 year old Zhou Yihan.

The winner earlier in the year in February in both the Czech Republic and Sweden, Zhou Yihan maintained her unbeaten record by overcoming Lin Ye in an all-Singaporean Junior Girls’ Singles final in Pattaya to add to her ever growing list of achievements.

Top place on the Junior Girls' Standuings is cemented.

Hard Fought Final
In a hard fought final, Zhou Yihan, the no.1 seed, overcame her fourth seeded compatriot in six games (11-5, 11-9, 11-6, 6-11,10-12, 11-4).

Road to Gold
Both Singaporeans had displayed fine form en route to the final.

Zhou Yihan overcame Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Wen in the quarter-finals (6-11, 11-4, 11-6, 13-11, 11-6), before beating the latter’s colleague, Huang Hsin (9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4) to reserve her place at the final table.

Severe Test
A hard fought semi-final win for Zhou Yihan; for Li Ye, her most severe test came in the quarter-finals.

She needed the full seven games to beat the host nation’s Suthasi Sawettabut (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 12-14, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4).

Upset Seeding
Success in the round of the last eight as seeding predicted, the Thai girl not being amongst the highly seeded players, at the semi-final stage it was not as seeding advised.

Lin Ye beat colleague and no.2 seed, Isabelle Siyun Li in five games (11-7, 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4).

Success for Hong Kong
Gold for the top seed in the Junior Girls’ Singles event, in the Cadet Girls’ Singles competition it was first prize for the second seed; Hong Kong’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam emerged victorious.

She beat Singapore’s An Wang Qi in the final (11-7, 3-11, 11-9, 12-10), having in the previous two rounds ousted host nation adversaries. In the round of the last eight she overcame Orawan Paranang (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6) before defeating Apichaya Sritavarit, the no.4 seed (11-5, 11-6, 11-7).

Top Seed Falls
An impressive performance and equally on the concluding day of play, An Wang Qi had impressed.

She beat Thailand’s Tamolwan Khetkuen, the no.1 seed in the semi-finals (11-6, 11-9, 11-6), having one round early ended the aspirations of Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ting-Ting (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9).

More Chinese Taipei Success
Defeat for Chen Ting-Ting but there was success; she won the Hopes Girls’ Singles event beating the host nation’s Monapsorn Saritapiurak in the final (11-6, 4-11, 11-5, 11-2).

Success for Chinese Taipei in the Hopes Girls’ Singles competition and there was also success in the Junior Girls’ Doubles event. Huang Hsin and Huang Yu-Wu were in total harmony, they beat Lin Ye and Zhou Yihan in three straight games in the final (11-9, 14-12, 11-4).

High Note for Thailand
A cause for Chinese Taipei to celebrate and there was just cause for the host nation to do likewise; Tamolwan Khetkuen and Orawan Paranog combined to win the Cadet Girls’ Doubles event.

They beat Korea’s Kang Ha Eun and Yoon Hyobin in four games to secure gold (11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4).

After five days of play, there was just reason for the host nation to smile, a successful tournament and a gold medal.