Wang Hao and Ding Ning Secure Gold

Ponzan, Nov 12: China’s WANG Hao and DING Ning won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Polish Open in Posnan on Sunday 11th November, both justifying their top seeded places in the draw.

At the final hurdle WANG Hao accounted for compatriot, 20 year old ZHOU Yu, after having overcome Hong Kong’s JIANG Tianyi in the semi-finals, the player against whom he had suffered a shock third round defeat earlier in the year in May at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour China Open in Shanghai.

In Poznan, he made no mistake and neither did DING Ning, she overcame Hungary’s Petra LOVAS in the penultimate round before withstanding a spirited challenge from Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA, the no.2 seed, in the final.

However, there was a shock in store for China earlier in the proceedings. WANG Hao and ZHOU Yu, the top seeds, were beaten in the final of the Men’s Doubles final by the Japanese partnership of Kenta MATSUDAIRA and Koki NIWA.

Defeat for the top seeds but not in the counterpart Women’s Doubles competition where the top seeds beat the second seeds in the final. Chinese Taipei’s CHENG I-Ching and HUANG Yi-Hua overcame Romania’s Daniela DODEAN and Elizabeta SAMARA, the newly crowned European champions, to secure the top step of the medal podium.

Success for WANG Hao means that he has qualified for the Men’s Singles event at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals; whilst both DING Ning and Elizabeta SAMARA have qualified for the counterpart Women’s Singles competition.

Similarly, CHENG I-Ching and HUANG Yi-Hua, in addition to Daniela DODEAN and Elizabeta SAMARA, will receive invitations for the Women’s Doubles event.

The GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals will be staged in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th December.

Men’s Singles

Semi-Final: WANG Hao (CHN) bt JIANG Tianyi (HKG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8

Semi-Final: ZHOU Yu (CHN) bt CHEN Feng (SIN) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5

Final: WANG Hao (CHN) bt ZHOU Yu (CHN) 8-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6, 15-13

Women’s Singles

Semi-Final: DING Ning (CHN) bt Petra LOVAS (HUN) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5

Semi-Final: Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) bt Renata STRBIKOVA (CZE) 14-12, 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 11-4

Final: DING Ning (CHN) bt Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10

Men’s Doubles

Final: Kenta MATSUDAIRA / Koki NIWA (JPN) bt WANG Hao / ZHOU Yu (CHN) 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6, 12-10

Women’s Doubles

Final: CHENG I-Ching / HUANG Yi-Hua (TPE) bt Daniela DODEAN / Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8. —- ITTF/ Photo by Ireneusz Kanabrodzki