06/16/2012        GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour, Brazil Open

There was no birthday present from her compatriot Ariel Hsing, for Lily Zhang on her 16th birthday, Saturday 16th June.

In the final of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Brazil Open in Santos, she was beaten in six games (11-9, 10-12, 4-11, 11-5,11-7, 12-10) by her compatriot.

Success for Ariel Hsing in the Under 21 Women’s Singles competition.

In the Under 21 Men’s Singles event it was victory for India.

Winner on the ITTF Junior Circuit in Austria in 2011, India’s Harmeet Desai clinched gold beating Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck in the final, also in six games (11-3, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9,5-11, 11-6).

Reversed North American Decision
The victory recorded by Ariel Hsing was a reversal of the two occasions when they have met in the final of the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the North American Youth Championships.

In both 2010 in Grand Rapids and one year later when the tournament was staged in Mississauga, Lily Zhang prevailed.

Fast Exchanges
Fast close the table exchanges were the order of the day in the duel between Ariel Hsing and Lily Zhang; the first two games being shared.

There was little to choose between the two players and it appeared that the contest would go the full seven games distance.

Sixth Game
In the sixth game with Ariel Hsing leading by three games to two but trailing 4-9, a decider seemed just a matter of time.

However, Ariel Hsing recovered, she levelled at 9-all; Lily Zhang called “Time Out”, the break was not to have the effect she desired. The next two points were shared, then at 11-10, Ariel Hsing held match point; then total anti-climax, Lily Zhang served into the net and the contest was over.

Difficult to Predict
A six games win for Ariel Hsing and it was the same margin of victory for Harmeet Desai in contest that was as difficult to predict as the duel that had immediately preceded.

Harmeet Desai and Cédric Nuytinck had met on two previous occasions; both at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships. In Bratislava in 2010 Harmeet Desai had won, one year later in Bahrain he had suffered defeat.

Received Service Better
“I feel I played well today, when I lost to Cédric in Bratislava I did not receive service well; today was much better”, explained Harmeet Desai. “Also, today was very different from when I won on the ITTF Junior Circuit in Austria; I was in my last year as a junior and I felt it was my last chance, here I did not feel under any pressure.”

Pressure or not he responded and surely he now written his name into the history books; the first Under 21 Men’s Singles winner from India?

Harmeet Desai, the Under 21 Men’s Singles champion in Santos
Photo by Mauricio Val