10/7/2007 2007 World Team Cup

China regained the men’s title at the World Team Cup on Sunday 7th October 2007 when they beat Hong Kong in the Germany city of Magdeburg by three matches to nil. The last time they won the title was in 1994, they finished in fifth place in 1995, the most recent occasion that the event had been held.

In 1994 Wang Hao was a vital member of the winning team; in 2007 Wang Hao was once against instrumental in the Chinese victory.

However, it is a different Wang Hao, the 2007 version would only have been ten years old when China struck gold thirteen years ago!

 10/7/2007 2007 World Team Cup

Wang Hao extended China’s lead in the final of the men’s event in the World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany on Sunday 7th October 2007.

He recovered from an opening game deficit to beat Leung Chu Yan 12-14, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7.

 10/7/2007 2007 World Team Cup

China duly confirmed their billing as the favourites for gold when they won the women’s crown at the World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany on Sunday 7th October 2007.

The beat a spirited Korean team by three matches to nil but there were moments of concern.

Zhang Yining had to save one match point against Park Mi Young to secure victory, before Guo Yue beat Lee Eun Hee and the partnership of Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia overcame Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young to end proceedings.

 10/6/2007 2007 World Team Cup

China took no chances whatsoever in their semi-final duel against Austria in the men’s event at the World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany on the evening of Saturday 6th October 2007.

They fielded their top three players, the players ranked one, two and three in the world, whilst their opponents decided to leave out the man who had caused them heartache at the Liebherr World Championships in 2003.

Werner Schlager, the player who struck gold four years ago in Paris, was resigned to the role of supporter with Chen Weixing, Robert Gardos and Bernard Presslmayer being the Austrian players on duty.

 10/6/2007 2007 World Team Cup

Impressive performances saw China and Korea succeed at the semi-final stage of the women’s event at the World Team Cup in Magdeburg early in the evening of Saturday 6th September 2007.

Both teams recorded three-nil wins with China defeating Hong Kong and Korea overcoming Hungary.

It was success for the Chinese trio of Zhang Yining, Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia and also for the Koreans Kim Kyung Ah, Park Mi Young and Lee Eun Hee.

 10/6/2007 2007 World Team Cup

China and Hong Kong duly booked their places in the second stage of the men’s event at the World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany on Saturday 6th October 2007 with respective wins over France and Russia, whilst in Group `B’ Korea finished in first place with Austria second.

At the semi-final stage China faces Austria whilst Korea confronts Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, for the hosts it was farewell but farewell in style. Germany beat the Czech Republic to salvage a degree of pride; in Group `B’ they finished in third place ahead of the Czech Republic whilst in Group `B’ third place went to France with Russia fourth.

 10/6/2007 2007 World Team Cup

The last time that Joo Se Hyuk and Werner Schlager confronted each other in an international competition was on a most memorable occasion.

It was the spring of 2003 in Bercy, Paris when Werner Schlager clinched the Men’s Singles crown at the Liebherr World Championships and Joo Se Hyuk was left to ponder what might have been.

In Magdeburg on Saturday 6th October 2007 in the men’s event at the World Team Cup the duo met again when Korea faced Austria to determine first place in Group `B’.