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Romanian Teenager Ousts Chinese Star

China’s Niu Jianfeng, the winner of the Women’s Singles title at five ITTF Pro Tour tournaments during her career and the champion in 2003 in Guangzhou at the Volkswagen Pro Tour Grand Finals, lost in the second round of the Women’s Singles event at Liebherr French Open in Toulouse on Friday 2nd November 2007.

She was beaten in a thrilling seven games encounter by Romania’s nineteen year old Daniela Dodean, the European Youth champion in both 2005 and 2006.

Daniela Dodean won 6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8.

It was only the second time since her debut in 1997 that Niu Jianfeng has lost in the round of the last thirty-two in a Women’s Singles event on the ITTF Pro Tour; the one previous occasion was in 1999, when ironically she suffered in the second round at the French Open in Lieven. On that occasion she lost to former World champion, Chire Koyama of Japan.

A surprise defeat for Niu Jianfeng, who was not the only player to have won titles on the ITTF Pro Tour and suffer at the hands of a lower World ranked opponent in the second round of the Women’s Singles event; Hong Kong’s Tie Yana lost to Singapore’s Feng Tianwei, the young lady who one week earlier in Wels had won the Under 21 Women’s Singles title at the Liebherr Austrian Open.

Niu Jianfeng and Tie Yana were the two major Women’s Singles casualties, whilst the highly seeded player to crash out in the Men’s Singles event was Singapore’s Gao Ning, the number eight seed.

He was beaten in round two by his Men’s Doubles partner, Yang Zi.

However, for the top four seeds in both the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events the second round was comfortably negotiated.

The Chinese trio of Ma Lin, Wang Hao and Wang Liqin, who occupy the top three seeded places, recorded respective wins against Austria’s Robert Gardos, Poland’s Lucjan Blaszczyk, and Japan’s Kaii Yoshida, whilst fourth seed Germany’s Timo Boll, ended the brave run of Japanese teenager, Kenji Matsudaira.

Similarly in round two of the Women’s Singles competition, China’s Zhang Yining, the top seed, secured a comfortable victory by overcoming France’s Xian Yi Fang whilst her colleagues Wang Nan, seeded two and Guo Yan, seeded three, did likewise.

Wang Nan accounted for compatriot Fan Ying whilst Guo Yan overcame Thailand’s Nanthana Komwong.

Success for the top three seeds in the last thirty-two of the Women’s Singles event and success for the number four seed but it was hard fought. Singapore’s Li Jia Wei succeeded but only just.

She was extended the full seven games distance by the Polish defender, Li Qian.