by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
In fact it is the fourth time this year at an ITTF World Junior Circuit tournament that the 15 year old has won the Cadet Boys’ Singles, Cadet Boys’ Doubles and Cadet Boys’ Team titles. Simply every time he has appeared he has performed the hat-trick.
He completed the feat in March in Italy, in April in France and earlier this month in Thailand. Always in the Cadet Boys’ Team and Cadet Boys’ Doubles events, the partner has been Kuang Li with Zhu Jiaqi added to the Cadet Boys’ Team line-up in Thailand.
The no.2 seed, just as in Italy and Thailand he beat Kuang Li in the Cadet Boys’ Singles final (11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3), having earlier at the quarter-final stage overcome Belgium’s Adrien Rassenfosse, the no.5 seed (11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3), prior to ousting Poland’s Maciej Kubik, the no.4 seed, in the penultimate round (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Impressive from Xiang Peng; in the opposite half of the draw it had been just the same from Kuang Li. In the later stages he beat Germany’s Mike Hollo, the no.8 seed (11-4, 11-3, 11-7) prior to reserving his place in the final by overcoming colleague Zeng Beixun, the no.32 seed (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8). Notably in round three Zeng Beixun had beaten Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish, the top seed (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6), before ousting Iran’s Navid Shams, the no.11 seed (11-9, 11-6, 11-2) to reserve his place in the penultimate round.
Imposing in the Cadet Boys’ Singles competition, it was the same in the Cadet Boys’ Doubles event; at the final hurdle Kuang Li and Xiang Peng beat Russia’s Vladislav Makarov and Sergey Ryzhov (11-6, 11-5, 11-4) to secure the title having in the penultimate round accounted for Slovakia’s Filip Delincak and Adam Klajber (11-7, 11-7, 11-5).
In the opposite half of the draw, in the penultimate round, Vladislav Makarov and Sergey Ryzhov had beaten colleagues Denis Izumrudov and Maksim Kaburkin (2-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7).
Play concluded in Wladyslawowo-Cetniewo, attention now turns to Markham in Ontario; the 2018 Canadian Junior and Cadet Open commences on Monday 28th May.
