7/4/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

China dominated events at the most recent tournament on the ITTF Pro Tour, the Volkswagen Open China; that’s not new, at a major tournament it’s happened before and it’s a million to one on that it will happen again!

However, in Nanjing it was different to other occasions when Chinese players had made the top step of the medal podium their own. It was the first ITTF event in China to feature a disc-jockey inside the stadium and a popular Chinese television, CCTV5 host, to introduce and interview the players before and after the match respectively.

 7/3/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

The dominance of Asia and in particular the depth of strength in Chinese table tennis are the two major factors that emerge following the conclusion of the three ITTF Pro Tour Volkswagen Open tournaments held in Korea, Japan and China during last three weeks of June 2007.

All six Standings – Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Under 21 Men’s Singles, Under 21 Women’s Singles – see players from the continent of Asia to the fore.

 7/1/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

Ma Lin won his second ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Singles title of the year when he beat Chinese compatriot Wang Hao in the final of the Men’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open China in Nanjing on Sunday 1st July 2007.

The winner in Qatar in February and the runner up at the Liebherr World Championships in May, Ma Lin collected his seventeenth career Men’s Singles crown on the ITTF Pro Tour.

 7/1/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

In the final of the Women’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open China in Nanjing on Sunday 1st July 2007, the host nation’s Guo Yue underlined the fact that she is currently the best female player in the world.

She beat Guo Yan in convincing style to collect her fourth ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles title of the year and, including Grand Finals, the ninth of her career.

At the final hurdle Guo Yue won 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 12-10; quite simply the newly crowned World champion stamped her authority on proceedings.

 7/1/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

Chen Qi and Wang Hao won the Men’s Doubles title at the Volkswagen Open China in Nanjing on Sunday 1st July 2007 beating Chinese national team compatriots Ma Lin and Wang Liqin in the final, whilst in the Women’s Doubles gold medal contest; success went the way of Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia.

They accounted for Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen in another all-Chinese final. Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia succeeded 6-11, 11-3, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9 whilst Chen Qi and Wang Hao won 12-10, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7.

 7/1/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

Wang Liqin, the man ranked number one on the ITTF Men’s World Ranking list and the reigning World champion, once again failed to open his account of Men’s Singles titles on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2007.

Seeded one, he lost at the semi-final stage to colleague Wang Hao. The latter won 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 15-17, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6.

 7/1/2007 2007 Volkswagen Open - China

The top two seeds both emerged successful at the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open China in Nanjing on Sunday 1st July 2007.

Seeded one Guo Yue beat Japan’s Saki Kanazawa in five games whilst in a much closer contest Guo Yan accounted for Liu Shiwen.

Guo Yue won 11-8, 17-19, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6, whilst Guo Yan prevailed 9-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10.