Swedish Open
Wang Hao and Li Xiaoxia Secure Major Honours
China’s Wang Hao and Li Xiaoxia won the respective
Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Swedish
Open in Stockholm on Sunday 18th November; the last open international
tournament on the ITTF Pro Tour calendar in 2007.
Top seed Wang Hao beat third seed Wang Liqin in the semis
and fourth seed Ma Long in the final, all three being national
team compatriots. Once again in 2007 a Men’s Singles
crown on the ITTF Pro Tour has eluded Wang Liqin. In May he
retained his Men’s Singles title at the Liebherr World
Championships; winning for a third time but in ten appearances
on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2007 he has failed to gain a Men’s
Singles title.
Meanwhile for Wang Hao it was his fourth Men’s Singles
crown on the ITTF Pro Tour in 2007and for Li Xiaoxia her third
and second in consecutive weeks. Seeded two she beat fourth
seed Singapore’s Li Jia Wei in the semis and compatriot
third seed, Guo Yan, in the final, the latter having ousted
top seed and reigning World champion, Guo Yue, also of China,
at the penultimate stage.
Gold for Wang Hao in the Men’s Singles and earlier
in the day he had enjoyed Men’s Doubles success with
Ma Long. The duo overcame top seeds Singapore’s Gao
Ning and Yang Zi by the narrowest of seven games margins at
the final hurdle. It was for Wang Hao and Ma Long their first
ever ITTF Pro Tour Men’s Doubles title as a pair, whilst
for Gao Ning and Yang Zi it was their eighth final appearance
in 2007 and their sixth runners up spot.
One week earlier they had been the silver medallists at the
Liebherr German Open, a position that the Koreans Kim Kyung
Ah and Park Mi Young had also experienced in Bremen. However,
in Stockholm there was better news for the Koreans. They won
the Women’s Doubles crown overcoming Japan’s Haruna
Fukuoka and Sayaka Hirano in a close seven games final duel;
like Ma Long and Wang Hao it was their first career success
as a pair in a doubles event on the ITTF Pro Tour.
Men’s Singles
SF: Wang Hao (CHN) bt Wang Liqin (CHN) 14-12, 12-10, 11-6,
5-11, 11-5
SF: Ma Long (CHN) bt Ma Lin (CHN) 11-6, 12-10, 11-8, 12-10
F: Wang Hao (CHN) bt Ma Long (CHN) 2-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10,
11-8
Women’s Singles
SF: Guo Yan (CHN) bt Guo Yue (CHN) 7-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9,
11-7, 11-5
SF: Li Xiaoxia (CHN) bt Li Jia Wei (SIN) 11-5, 11-7, 8-11,
11-5, 11-5
F: Li Xiaoxia (CHN) bt Guo Yan (CHN) 14-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
Men’s Doubles
F: Ma Long/Wang Hao (CHN) bt Gao Ning/Yang Zi (SIN) 11-2,
9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9
Women’s Doubles
F: Kim Kyung Ah/Park Mi Young (KOR) bt Haruna Fukuoka/Sayaka
Hirano (JPN) 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8
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"Source:
ITTF Press Release