Satisfactory result for Team China

Taking home four of the five trophies on offer in Bremen, it’s fair to say Team China have enjoyed another fine outing on the ITTF World Tour. Coach Ma Lin is satisfied with the performance overall but insists there is still room for improvement:

“I am quite satisfied with the results of the German Open. Our main task for Sweden as well as German Open was to check the younger generation of players for both techniques and mental abilities, in how far they are ready for important international tournaments. We also wanted to find out how well they can play under pressure from all sides. Apart from this tournament, the biggest challenge or our women’s team is Japan. Although we have already been able to prepare ourselves very well for this, we still found our gaps in this tournament. We still need to improve.” Ma Lin

Awards ceremony

Congratulations to the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open singles champions and runners-up.

Record spectator figures in Bremen

Mr. Michael Geiger, President of the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund (German Table Tennis Association), has announced that a record number of spectators have turned up at the ÖVB-Arena:

“15,650 spectators in total, that’s an excellent visit. Table tennis is a real brand in Bremen.” Mr. Michael Geiger

The previous record for the German Open was also achieved in Bremen, in 2018. One year ago 13,200 people watched the tournament on all five match days. This is the eighth edition of German Open in Bremen.

Analysis proves vital

Having lost to Mima Ito only last week, Sun Yingsha reveals the secret to her success in Bremen came down to analysis:

“I thought I played very well today. The very first time I played against her, I won. That was at the World Championships in Budapest this spring. Half a year later at the Swedish Open I couldn’t beat her. Ito had developed a new strategy and greatly improved her technique. Then I analysed all her matches, developed the right tactics for her and was able to implement it in the final.” Sun Yingsha

Lead insurmountable, Sun Yingsha crowned champion

Mima Ito can’t find her way back into the match as Sun Yingsha cruises through game five (11-4) to lift the women’s singles trophy (11-3, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4).

The young Chinese player has now won three singles titles on the 2019 ITTF World Tour having prevailed in Sapporo and Geelong a few months back and now holds a career total of four. Sun also gets her revenge following her semi-final defeat to Ito at last week’s 2019 Swedish Open in Stockholm.

Sun pulls two clear

There may have been little between the two finalists at the start of the match but Sun now finds herself two games ahead of her Japanese counterpart with games three and four both being decided by a clear six-point margin (11-5, 11-5). Sun needs just one more game to secure the title, but can Ito fight her back into the contest?

Nothing between them

In the battle of teenagers it is China’s Sun Yingsha who strikes first, displaying a wonderful array of winners to convincingly take the opener (11-3). However, Mima Ito responds straight away with a much better showing in game two (11-9), levelling the tie at 1-1.

“I am overjoyed to have won”

A return to title winning ways for Fan Zhendong, who is over the moon with his outing in Bremen:

“This is an absolutely important victory for me. I am overjoyed to have won against Xu Xin. Because we know each other so well it’s really hard for me to surprise him with anything. I never let up, always put pressure on him until the last rally. I had a lot of fun here, especially with this great crowd.” Fan Zhendong

The long wait comes to an end

Fan Zhendong is men’s singles champion!

And he’s done it! Fan Zhendong has recovered from a slow start to beat World no.1 Xu Xin to men’s singles gold in Bremen (5-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7).

In game five Xu showed great spirit to save three championship points but at the fourth attempt Fan converted (11-7) to win his first singles title on the ITTF World Tour since the 2018 Swedish Open!

Fan turns it around

Fan has turned this match on its head: despite four game point opportunities saved by Xu , game three belongs to Fan (14-12). At 8-5 up in the following game Fan opts for a time-out and it proves to be the correct decision as the World no.2 drops just two further points (11-7) to claim a commanding 3-1 lead.

Can Xu find his way back into this one?

Immediate response

That’s better from the second seed, Fan is beginning to make use of that powerful forehand of his (11-8). Both players are producing fantastic attacking table tennis much to the crowd’s delight – all still to play for in this final.

Dominant start for World no.1

The in-form player of 2019, Xu Xin has made a confident start to the men’s singles final in Bremen winning the opening game by a six-point margin! (11-5). Fan Zhendong hasn’t really managed to find his footing as of yet – can he respond?

And Ito is in the finals!

It was not to be a fairy tale ending for Feng Tianwei, as Mima Ito eliminated the Singaporean veteran in straight games (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6). In a match of 33 minutes, Ito was simply too good for Feng and she made sure not to give her any opportunities to make a comeback.

Ito now faces a familiar foe in Sun Yingsha for the women’s gold later today.

Ito looks to be in a rush

Japan’s Mima Ito has taken a strong 2-0 lead over Singapore’s Feng Tianwei as the young prodigy looks to be in a rush to reach the finals.

But count Feng out of the match at your peril – she has made a habit of making comebacks when you least expect her to!

Fan makes a tremendous comeback!

The former World no.1 has shown his supreme class as he comes back to win the match from 2-3 down! Liang Jingkun threw everything at his compatriot, but Fan Zhendong managed to power through and get the result and a spot in the final by winning 4-3 (3-11, 11-8, 11-5, 4-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-4)!

“I think he was very active at the beginning while I in comparison to him was a little passive and slow. I think he has prepared himself much better than I did. In the second game the umpires have given him some warnings about his serves and I thought maybe I still could have chance then. I think we both have given our best to this match.” Fan Zhendong

Liang takes lead.. is it decisive?

The battle is on between the Chinese friends as Liang Jingkun has control of the match. With a 3-2 lead, will this be the point where Liang keeps out Fan for good?

Nothing to separate the two Chinese elite!

Liang Jingkun and Fan Zhendong are locked at 1-1 in the second semi-final of the morning. Both Chinese athletes are looking at their best, which means we might be in for a crunch match! Watch this space!

…and “Cloudwalks” into the final

It seems like Xu Xin took no prisoners with his Korean opponent, as the “Cloudwalker” makes it to another men’s singles final.

“I think I have played pretty okay in this match in total. Losing the second game has not affected me a lot. He played such a lot of high quality balls that he could have won the match. His performance was very good. For the final it makes no difference for me whether I play a teammate or a player from abroad. I have to relax. Only then an athlete can play at his top level.” Xu Xin

Winning 4-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6), Xu needed 48 minutes to take care of the immensely talented Jeoung but still made it look easy in his unique style. While Jeoung will feel hard done by, he can be proud of his lengthy campaign in Germany.

Xu in control

The World no.1 is in control at the three-game stage of this tense semi-final, as Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik has plenty of fight in him at the table.

Leading by 2-1, Xu Xin has shown signs of his immense quality just in time as Jeoung seems to begin hitting back. Who will blink first?

…and she makes her lead count!

Sun Yingsha has successfully reached the final of the women’s singles event here in Bremen, after seeing off the challenge of Wang Yidi in straight games (13-1, 11-1, 11-8, 11-2).

“We know each other very well, of course. She didn’t play badly at all. She was also good yesterday and came back after she had been behind. I prepared very well for today and I’m feeling good. Both against Feng Tianwei and against Mima Ito I hope to play well.” Sun Yingsha

In less than half an hour, the baby-faced Chinese athlete was superb in her attacking play and gave her opponent no chance to strike back. Can she carry this form and win another ITTF World Tour title? Let’s see.

Sun takes early lead

In the first semi-final of the day, the all-Chinese affair has started with Sun Yingsha establishing an early 2-0 lead over compatriot Wang Yidi.

The senior athlete in Wang saw a similar setup when she came back against Wang Manyu in the previous round. What does she have up her sleeve this time?

The Final four

Who will be Champion?