Shuai shocks Cheung, Baboor wins

Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, OCT. 21: Unseeded Hao Shuai of China knocked out top seeded Cheung Yuk of Hong Kong in a major upset in the men's quarter-final stage of the 15th Asian Cup table tennis championships, played at the Andheri Sports complex. The strapping Chinese, playing well within himself when making progress in the round-robin phase, showed the stuff he was capable of against the Hong Kong player, winning 21-15, 22-20, 14-21, 21-16.

At an adjacent table, Chetan Baboor, the only Indian able left in the fray as the tournament nears the home stretch, scored an impressive 17-21, 21-12, 21-10, 21-16 victory over Chinese Taipei's Yang Shunh Shiang to make the semi-finals. Baboor takes on China's Chan Tian Yuan, another unseeded player.

Shuai, who had lost to the third seeded Indian in the group phase, played a waiting game against the Hong Kong player, ranked 32n in the world. This battle between left-handers turned out to be a fascinating contest, with both Shuai and Cheung using the first two games to size up the opposition. Both preferred to play close to the table, spraying balls to the corners in an attempt to catch the opponent out of position before moving in for the kill.

The Chinese won the first game comfortably against the top seed Cheung who looked out of sorts, perhaps affected by the heat factor. The second game was a much more even contest, with the Hong Kong player striking up an rhythm before Shuai won 22- 20. With defeat staring him in the face, the top seed suddenly shifting gears and reeled off points to win 21-14.

However, Shuai could not be kept quiet for long, and with his coach prodding him along, went on to win the fourth game 21-16 for a place in the semi-final, where another Hong Kong player, second seed Leung Chu Yan awaits him.

Baboor, drained by three matches on day one, started off on a tentative note against Yang, losing 17-21 before putting on a smashing display which had the crowd rooting for him all the way. The third seeded Indian gave his rival no despite, every return hammered back, using huge top-spin forehands as Yang waged a grim battle for survival. But with Baboor in full cry, he could only delay the inevitable.

Second seed Leung Chu Yan beat China's Wang Zhe 19-21, 21-17, 21- 16, 21-14 in another quarterfinals, while Chan Tian Yuan defeated Korea's Yoon Jae Young 21-14, 21-16, 21-13 to complete the semifinal line-up.

The women's quarterfinals also produced an upset with top seed Kim Kyung Ha of Korea bowing out 13-21, 12-21, 17-21 at the hands of third seed Zhang Xue Ling of Singapore, who takes on China's Guo Yue in the semifinals. The latter winning 21-13, 21- 15, 21- 15 against Singapore's Tan Paey Fem. The other two quarterfinals were in progress at the time of going to the press.

The tournament is organised by the Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association, under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India and is co-sponsored by ITC and LIC.

The other three Indians could not make the quarterfinal grade - men's eighth seed Soumyadeep Roy finishing fifth and last in Group A, women's seventh seed Mouma Das taking the third spot out of four in Group C and eighth seed Poulomi Ghatak occupying fourth position out of four players in Group A.

lThe results:

Men (quarterfinals): Hao Shuai (Chn) bt Cheung Yuk (HK) 21-15, 22-20, 14-21, 21-16; Leung Shu Yan (HK) bt Wang Zhe (Chn) 19-21, 21-17, 21-16, 21-14; Chetan Baboor (Ind) bt Yeng Shun Hsing (Tpe) 17-21, 21-12, 21-10, 21-16; Chen Tian Yuan (Chn) bt Yoon Jae Young (Kor) 21-14, 21-16, 21-13.

Round-robin phase (Men): 1-Cheung Yuk (HK) bt Yoon Jae Young (Kor) 12-21, 21-13, 21-17; 5-Cai Xiaoli (Sin) bt Soumyadeep Roy (Ind) 21-17, 21-14; Chen Tian Yuan (Chn) bt 2-Leung Chu Yan (HK) 21-19, 21-14; Yang Meng Hsing (Tpe) bt 7- S Ryusuke (Jpn) 21-18, 21-14; 3-Chetan Baboor (Ind) bt Y Toshinori (Jpn) 22-20, 21-13; Hao Shuai (Chn) bt Kim Joo Sang (Kor) 19-21, 21-6, 21-18; Wang Zhe (Chn) bt Yeng Shun Hsing (Tpe) 21-13, 21-17; 6-Mehran Ahadi (Irn) bt Beknazarov Ermek (Kaz) 21- 18, 21-18; 1-C Yuk (HK) bt 8- S Roy (Ind) 21-12, 21-15; Y J Young (Kor) bt Budiono (Indonesia) 18-21, 21-14, 21-11; 2-L C Yan (Chen) bt Bhakaphoom Sanguan (Tha) 21-11, 21-7; W Zhe (Chn) bt B Ermek (Kaz) 21-12, 21-11; Y S Hsing (Tpe) w/o Abdul Aziz-al- Abbad.

Women: 1-Kim Kyung Ha (Kor) bt 8-Poulomi Ghatak (Ind) 22-20, 21- 6; Luyun Feng (Tpe) bt Abe Ayumi (Jpn) 21- 8, 21-13; Anisara Muang Suk (Tha) bt Yoon Ji Hye (Kor) 18-21, 21- 19,21-6; 5-Zhang Xue Ling (Sin) bt 7-Mouma Das (Ind) 21-7, 23-21; Guo Yue (Chn) bt 3-Lau Sui Fei (HK) 23-25, 21-9, 21-15; Tang Yuan (Chn) bt Pan Li- Chun (Tpe) 21-18, 21-17; 4-Kwok Fong Fong (HK) bt Sugita Sanae (Jpn) 21-9, 21-10; Jiang Huajun (Chn) bt Oblopova Nataliya (Kaz) 21-17, 12-21, 21-9, 21-10; 2-L S Fei (HK) bt Y J Hye (Kor) 21-15, 21-16; Guo Yue (Chen) bt 6-Rossi Pritin Dipoya (Indo) 21-13, 19- 21, 21-8; 5-T P Fem (Sin) bt S Sanae (Jpn) 21- 17, 11-21, 21-12.

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