The Singaporean duo of Zhan Jian and Li Jiawei won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles events at the South East Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament on Sunday 5th February 2012.

Subject to approval from the Singapore National Olympic Committee, they now qualify for the Men’s and Women’s Singles events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Staged in the Thailand capital city of Bangkok, the two day tournament saw nine men and seven women participate. 

Matters were organised in two stages; the first stage being on a group basis the second on the knock-out principle.

First and Second Progress
Each event saw two groups in the first stage with all group matches being concluded on Saturday 4th February.

The players finishing in first and second places in each group progressed to the semi-finals on day two.

Progressed to Stage Two
Both Zhan Jian and Li Jiawei finished in first place in their respective groups and continued their form on the second day of action.

At the semi-final stage Zhan Jian accounted for Vietnam’s Tran Tuan Quynh (11-7, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5), before accounting for Indonesia’s Ficky Supit Santoso (11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5) in the final, the player who in 2007 won the Junior Boys’ Singles title on the ITTF Junior Circuit in Bahrain.

Former ITTF Junior Circuit Winner
Ficky Supit Santoso, who had finished in first place in his group, was severely tested at the semi-final stage; he needed the full seven games to beat Thailand’s Nikom Wongsiriu; he won but only just (14-16, 11-5, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9).

Comprehensive Wins
Comprehensive wins for Zhan Jian in the Men’s Singles event and it was the same scenario in the counterpart Women’s Singles competition.

At the semi-final stage, she accounted for Vietnam’s Nguyen Viet Linh (11-4, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8), before overcoming the host nation’s Nanthana Komwong in the final (11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6); in the counterpart semi-final, Nanthana Komwong had beaten compatriot Anisara Muangsuk (7-11, 11-2, 2-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-9).

Good Form in Hungary
The wins in Bangkok are a continuation of the good form shown on this year’s GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour.

At the Hungarian Open both excelled. Zhan Jian reached the third round, eventually losing to China’s Ma Lin, having in the second round recorded a notable win over Korea’s Lee Jung Woo; whilst Lee Jiawei went one step further in Budapest. 

She reached the quarter-finals, losing to Ma Lin’s compatriot Li Xiaoxia

Four Consecutive Appearances
It will be the first time Zhan Jian has competed at an Olympic Games; for Li Jiawei it will be her fourth appearance. 

She made her debut in Sydney in 2000 and has been present ever since; notably in Athens in 2004 she beat the defending Women’s Singles champion, Wang Nan, eventually finishing in fourth place in the Women’s Singles event.

Similar
Similarly, in Beijing in 2008, fourth place was her lot in the Women’s Singles event but in the Women’s Team competition, she won the silver medal, lining up alongside Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu.

Source: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=26819&Category=General&Competition_ID=&

Share this post