Wuhan Overwhelmed From Their Victory Against Shandong

As a newly formed team this season, Wuhan didn’t have very high expectations in the Chinese Super League. They just wanted to do well in every round and they were successful in it. They reached the playoffs and even progressed into the finals. Of course, such result was overwhelming for them. According to the coach, they were so happy win over Shandong that they forgot about their finals match. 

Sohu Sports. Wuhan never expected to go too far in this season’s Chinese Super League. When they won over Shandong in the semis, they were overjoyed. 

Wuhan faced a big opponent in the Chinese Super League semifinals, after all they were against the defending champions Shandong Luneng. “Luneng is a traditionally strong team. Our team is newly formed this year so our position was a little low in the competition.” Rao Jingwen, Wuhan’s coach said. 

Furthermore, according to the coach, they won the match because their opponents lack the backbone. 

“I think our opponent lost mainly because Li Xioxia was injured and their team didn’t have any backbone. I believe that what Li Xiaoxia can give to her team is fighting spirit. Maybe she’ll lose, but she can still bring her other teammates to perform well. Probably because of her injury and that she had to retire, the performance of Luneng is passive.” The coach explained. 

After winning the semifinals, Rao Jingwen revealed that they were overwhelmed with joy and excitement that they were not thinking about the next game anymore. 

“It was one very intense match. We lost twice against the opponent in the preliminary stage. It should be said that the overall strength of Wuhan is very high.” Li Xiaoxia commented. 

Chen Meng Satisfied With Her Performance In The Super League

Since Li Xiaoxia was not able to fully participate in this season’s Chinese Super League, a new player took the leading role for the Shandong Luneng Team. She was Chen Meng and actually did a good job the whole season. In the semifinals, Chen Meng was the only player from the team who posted victory. Of course, she was satisfied with her performance. 

Sohu Sports. The Shandong Women’s Team was not able to reach the finals but one player from their team played well. She is Chen Meng. 

Since the start of this season, Li Xiaoxia was not able to really give her full attention to the Chinese Super League due to her injuries. In her absence, Chen Meng played the role of the new leader. Throughout the competition, the young player did well, leading the team into the playoffs. 

Shandong played in the semifinals against the newly-formed team of Wuhan. In that match, Chen Meng contributed two points. “Today, I am satisfied with my overall performance.” Chen Meng said.  

However, two points were not enough to bring down their opponent. Shandong lost to Wuhan in 2-3. 

“In the preliminary stage, we lost to Wuhan twice. This match had a big difficulty. We prepared a lot before the game and went all out against our opponents. Our semifinal match reached the decider and everybody worked hard. I hope that next year, we will be back again.” Chen Meng said. 

Li Xiaoxia also hopes that they will be able to have that chance again so that they can play better. “We are going to come back again next year and impact the championship title for the sixth time.” Li Xiaoxia said.

After 18 ‪#‎ITTFWorldTour‬ events in 2015, 6 players have managed to secure their place at the World Tour Grand Finals in Lisbon!

he ITTF-Oceania Cup Points List has been released for September 2015. The Top 5 athletes from the list, with a maximum of 2 per National Association, will qualify for the 2016 ITTF-Oceania Cup, which has also increased it's prize money to $40,000AU!

Same Event, New Era

From 2016 onwards, the ITTF-Oceania Cup will be restricted to 8 Men and 8 Women. Athletes must compete in events in the prior year to the ITTF-Oceania Cup to gain qualification for the event. The ITTF-Oceania Cup will remain the sole qualification event for the prestigious ITTF World Cup.

Qualification System

The Road to 2016 ITTF-Oceania Cup commences at the beginning of 2015. Throughout 2015 there will be a series of National Open events, as well as select regional events, such as the 2015 Pacific Games, in which athletes will compete to earn points to qualify for the 2016 ITTF-Oceania Cup.  The more events an athlete competes in, the more points they can earn towards qualification.

Road to 2016 ITTF-Oceania Cup Events

Tier 1 – K-Sports 2015 ITTF-Oceania Cup
Tier 2 – 2015 Pacific Games, Australia Open, New Zealand Open
Tier 3 – Pacific Cup, National Opens of all other Member Associations

William HENZELL (AUS)
7-time ITTF-Oceania Cup Champion
Photo courtesy of Warren Woolcock

Chile And Colombia Won The 2015 South American Championships

Chile and Colombia stole titles from Brazil at the 2015 South American Championships held in Argentina. The Chilean team emerged successfully over Brazil in the men's final, while Colombia didn't allow Bruna Takahashi & Co. in the women's finals. 

Chile and Colombia claimed the team titles at the 2015 South American Championships, which is being held in Mendoza, Argentina. Both teams emerged successfully over Brazil in the finals. 

In the men competition Chile clinched the title. The Chilean team remained unbeaten in the group phase. Felipe Olivares, Manuel Moya, Juan Lamadrid y Gustavo Gomezbeat Peru, Uruguay and Bolivia. 

In semifinals the young team posted an dramatic and historic victory over Argentina. Olivares and Lamadrid defeated Rodrigo Gilabert and Gaston Alto, respectively. But the host nation managed to level the score with victories of Pablo Tabachnik/Gaston Alto over Moya/Lamadrid in doubles and Tabachnik over Olivares in the fourth match. In the deciding match Manuel Moya stopped Argentina's recovery after beating Rodrigo Gilabert. 

This was the first victory of Chile over Argentina after more than 10 years. 

In the final Chile overcame Brasil by 3-1. Eric Jouti took the lead for Brazil as he beat Olivares by 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 and 12-10. In the second match Juan Lamadriddefeated Massao Kohatsu by 14-12, 16-14, 8-11 and 12-10. In the third match Moya and Lamadrid stood victorious over Israel Barreto and Massao Kohatsu by 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 and 11-9. Olivares redeemed himself and gave victory to Chile after winning over Barreto by 11-9, 11-9 and 11-7. 

In the women's group phase Colombia stumbled but recovered the second stage to clinch the title. The Colombian team suffered an unexpected defeat against Argentina and got the second place in the group 1. In semifinals Colombia eliminated Chile by 3-1. 

In the final Colombia faced Brazil. Paula Medina got the first win as she overcameLeticia Nakada by 12-10, 11-9 and 11-5. In the second match Bruna Takahashi leveled the score after beating Lady Ruano by 13-15, 11-3, 13-11 and 11-4. Angie Umbacia andLady Ruano deefated Jessica Prates and Leticia Nakada by 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 and 11-8. In the fourth match Medina overcame Prates by 11-8, 11-4 and 11-3. 

50 Day Countdown Until 2015 ITTF Women's World Cup Begins

Fukuhara will be hoping her 2015 form will lead her to Women's World Cup glory at home.

One of the marque events on the ITTF calendar, the 2015 ITTF Women's World Cup, is just 50 days away! The 2015 Women's World Cup will take place from 30 October to 1 November 2015 in Sendai, Japan, the same city that was devastated by a tsunami in 2011. Only 20 of the world's best women's table tennis players are invited to play in the Women's World Cup. 17 of them have qualified through their respective Continental Cups, plus the current World Champion, a host country player, and a wildcard. Current world champion DING Ning will miss the event to finally get over the ankle sprain she sustained in the dramatic World Championships final this year. This means that the woman she defeated in that historic final, LIU Shiwen, will be the favorite to win a remarkable fourth Women's World Cup, which would equal the record currently held by ZHANG Yining. The sold-out crowd will be fully behind the local Japanese due of Kasumi ISHIKAWA and Ai FUKUHARA who are world ranked number four and five respectively, and will be expected to be pushing for the title on 1 November 2015. Both of the Japanese stars have been the stand out performers on the GAC Group 2015 World Tour, so this will give them the confidence to lift the cup in front of their home crowd. The full list of 20 players that have qualified for one of the biggest shows in table tennis are:  MESHREF Dina (EGY) - African Cup Winner FENG Tianwei (SIN) - Asian Cup Winner KUMAHARA Caroline (BRA) - Latin American Cup Winner ZHANG Mo (CAN) - North American Cup Winner LAY Jian Fang (AUS) - Oceania Cup Winner LIU Jia (AUT) - Europe Cup Winner LIU Shiwen (CHN) - Asian Cup 2nd place ZHU Yuling (CHN) - Asian Cup 3rd place SOLJA Petrissa (GER) - Europe Cup 2nd place IVANCAN Irene (GER) - Europe Cup 3rd place FUKUHARA Ai (JPN) - Asian Cup 4th place ISHIKAWA Kasumi (JPN) - Asian Cup 5th place SEO Hyowon (KOR) - Asian Cup 6th place DOO Hoi Kem (HKG) - Asian Cup 7th place LI Jiao (NED) - Europe Cup 4th place HU Melek (TUR) - Europe Cup 5th place POTA Georgina (HUN) - Europe Cup 6th place LI Jie (NED) - Europe Cup 9th place CHENG I-Ching (TPE) - Asian Cup 8th place YANG Haeun (KOR) - Wild card

Wang & Zhang are the ITTF-North American Champions

A relieved Zhang after performing an amazing comeback to be the champion. Photo credit: Henry Lee

USA'S Timothy WANG and Lily ZHANG have claimed the respective Men's & Women's Singles gold at the 2015 ITTF-North America Championships that concluded today, 7 September 2015 in Westchester, New York. Top seeded in the tournament, WANG had a taste of sweet revenge against Canada's Pierre-Luc THERIAULT, prevailing 4-1 (11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6) to win his first ITTF-North American title. After his victory, the 24 year old shared: "I lost to Pierre-Luc at the Pan American Games earlier this year, so I wanted to get my revenge, and luckily I pulled through." "I finished second for a couple of times at the ITTF-North America Championships, so it felt really good to finally win it. I was telling myself to stay aggressive and bring in my game, because if I play passive, it's not going to take me anywhere. I played a lot better than expected today, my backhand was on fire," added the newly crowned champion. The Women's Singles gold medal match was an reenact of the 2015 ITTF-North America Cup final showdown between archrivals ZHANG Mo (CAN) and Youth Olympics Bronze medalist Lily ZHANG (USA). The table was turned this time round is New York, as Lily ZHANG remarkably came back from 0-3 down to win a dramatic final 4-3 (8-11, 5-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8). After her match, a thrilled Lily ZHANG shared "This is just the second time I have beaten her, and this is definitely one of the most exciting and nervewreckingmatches in my life." The Canadian team put up a good fight against Team USA in the Men's & Women's Team events, but the Americans proved to be just too strong. In a bitterly fought Men's Team Final that lasted over 3.5 hours, Team USA was able to stage a huge comeback from 0-2 down to win the Team title 3-2. On the team victory, Team USA coach Stefan FETH stated: "I'm really happy for the guys, they practised really hard to perform well. It just didn't start well, still happy we turn it around and in the end we won, it's what matters and counts." 2015 ITTF-North America Championships winners:  Men's Singles: Timothy WANG (USA)  Women's Singles: Lily ZHANG (USA)  Men's Team: USA  Women's Team: USA  Cadet Girl's Singles: Crystal WANG (USA)  Cadet Boy's Singles: Jack WANG (USA)  Junior Girls Team: USA  Junior Boys Team: USA

50 Days to Go Until Liebherr 2015 ITTF Men's World Cup

Click above to watch the 50 days to go promotional video!

The second most prestigious table tennis event on earth, the Liebherr 2015 ITTF Men's World Cup is just 50 days away! The Liebherr 2015 Men's World Cup will take place from 16-18 October in Halmstad, Sweden, the same city that will host the 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships. Only 20 of the world's best table tennis players are invited to play in Halmstad. 17 of them have qualified through their respective Continental Cups, plus the current World Champion, a host country player, and a wildcard. Current world champion and world number one MA Long heads the entry list at the 36th Men's World Cup. The 26 year old will be determined to win his second World Cup crown, after coming so close last year in the most dramatic final in recent history against the 2014 champion ZHANG Jike. The 2013 champion and world number two XU Xin, and the 2015 European Games champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, will be the other two big names in a star studded field at the Halmstad Arena. The full list of 20 players that have qualified for one of the biggest shows in table tennis are (pending confirmation): MA Long (CHN) - World Champion ASSAR Omar (EGY) - African Cup Winner XU Xin (CHN) - Asian Cup Winner TSUBOI Gustavo (BRA) - Latin American Cup Winner BUTLER Jimmy (USA) - North American Cup Winner HENZELL William (AUS) - Oceania Cup Winner OVTCHAROV Dimitrij (GER) - Europe Cup Winner MIZUTANI Jun (JPN) - Asian Cup 3rd place FREITAS Marcos (POR) - Europe Cup 2nd place GIONIS Panagiotis (GRE) - Europe Cup 3rd place TANG Peng (HKG) - Asian Cup 4th place KIM Minseok (KOR) - Asian Cup 5th place GAUZY Simon (FRA) - Europe Cup 4th place APOLONIA Tiago (POR) - Europe Cup 5th place GARDOS Robert (AUT) - Europe Cup 6th place ACHANTA Sharath Kamal (IND) - Asian Cup 6th place NIWA Koki (JPN) - Asian Cup 7th place GAO Ning (SIN) - Asian Cup 8th place KARLSSON Kristian (SWE) - Host player KALLBERG Anton (SWE) - Wild card

2015 ITTF Star Awards to be held in Lisbon

See you in Lisbon for the 2015 ITTF Star Awards

The International Table Tennis Federation is excited to announce that the 2015 ITTF Star Awards will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on 9 December 2015. The 2015 ITTF Star Awards is the third edition of the annual year-ending table tennis awards, and it promises to build on the immense success of the two previous editions. The 2015 ITTF Star Awards will be held prior to the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, and will recognize and celebrate the stars of table tennis, the players and coaches. The evening of glitz and glamour will take place in the centre of Lisbon in the historic Patio de Gale, Lisbon, as the table tennis stars dress up in their finest to attend. ITTF Marketing Director Steve DAINTON stated: "The ITTF Star Awards has grown into a yearly event with great stature and an important date on the calendar for all of the world's top table tennis players. This year, we head to the beautiful city of Lisbon, in conjunction with the World Tour Grand Finals, to recognize the Stars of our sport for what will be a classical and elegant evening!" Portuguese interest in table tennis is at an all time high, on the back of their National Team's gold medal feats at the TMS 2014 European Team Table Tennis Championships and the 2015 European Games. A record of eight ITTF Star Awards will be handed out in Lisbon, with the ITTF Star Breakthrough being the new addition in Lisbon. The full list of eight ITTF Star Awards that will be on offer in Lisbon are: Male Table Tennis Star Female Table Tennis Star presented by Nittaku Para Male Table Tennis Star presented by Tinsue Para Female Table Tennis Star presented by Stag International Table Tennis Star Point presented by DHS Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly Table Tennis Breakthrough Star Fair Play Star

Ma Long Edges Closer to History at the ITTF China Open

ma long chn (28).jpg

Ma Long & Zhu Yuling are the 2015 ITTF China Open Champions

2015 World Champion, MA Long, has taken one more step closer to creating history by winning his 20th ITTF World Tour title today at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour China Open. MA edged closer to the legendary Vladimir SAMSONOV's record of 26 ITTF World Tour titles, with an impressive victory over world number two, XU Xin, in Dujiangyan, Chengdu. The world number one, who had to come from behind in the semifinal to beat lowly ranked Yuya OSHIMA from Japan, was simply too powerful for his team mate XU in the final, prevailing 13-15, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9. After the match the 26 year old stated: "This is the sixth time I have won the China Open, so it is very special to me. It also takes me one step closer to SAMSOMSOV's ITTF World Tour record. XU is always a very tough opponent. I knew I had to be in my best form to defeat him, and thankfully today I was in front this awesome crowd here." ZHU Yuling, who is from the Sichuan province, used her home ground advantage perfectly, as she blew the current World Champion DING Ning off the court in a ruthless display in front of the capacity crowd. The 20 year old won her second ITTF World Tour title surprisingly easy 11-9, 11-4, 13-11, 11-8 to claim gold at the final ITTF World Tour Super Series event of the year. "I really felt the support today from my local crowd" stated the world number three," and I know DING Ning is an amazing player, so I needed to be at the top of my game. It was a surprise that I played so well and won 4-0. This was because I put all my heart and soul into match. I am so happy to be the champion!" It was defeat for XU Xin in the men's singles, but a win in the men's doubles as he teamed up with FAN Zhendong to defeat FANG Bo & ZHU Linfeng (CHN) 10-12, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 9-11 in the final. LIU Shiwen made up for her disappointing semifinal loss against ZHU Yuling by teaming up with CHEN Meng to claim the women's doubles title. The Chinese duo defeated their teammates GU Yuting & MU Zi 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 to ensure that they both don't go home empty handed. In the under 21 singles, Hitomi SATO from Japan won an extraordinary fifth women's title in 2015 and seventh overall to confirm herself as the dominant under 21 player on the planet. The men's under 21 title went to the 2013 Junior World Champion JANG Woojin from Korea, who is quickly establishing himself as a future star of the sport. The world's best players now head to Bulgaria for the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Bulgaria Open, which starts on 19 August 2015 in Panagyurishte

Star Studded Field Set to Compete at ITTF World Tour China Open

The world's best are in Chengdu for the final Super Series of the year

A repeat of the epic 2014 Men's World Cup Final clash between MA Long and ZHANG Jike will not be possible at the GAC Group 2015 World Tour China Open, as they have been drawn in the same half. Despite this, fans in Chengdu, China will be treated to one of the strongest World Tour tournaments in recent history, with nine out of the top ten men, and eight out of the top ten women all competing in the sixth and final Super Series event of the year. Qualifications for the main draw starts today, 5 August 2015, with players battling to join the world's best players in the main draw, which starts Friday, 7 August, with the medals being handed out on Sunday, 9 August! If current World Champion MA Long, is to win a record fourth China Open title in a row and sixth overall, he will have to overcome players he has had tough battles with in the past. The world number one is due to play FANG Bo, whom he defeated earlier in the year in the World Championships final, and face his archrival ZHANG Jike in the semi final. "I always enjoy playing in front of my home fans." stated MA."It would mean a lot to me to win my sixth China Open title. It won't be easy as the world's best players are here, but I will try my best to be the champion!" It won't be just these players threatening MA Long's quest for a 20th World Tour title. Top stars such as XU Xin, FAN Zhendong, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, Timo BOLL and Marcos FREITAS will also have their eye on securing the prestigious China Open title. Anticipation is high for the women's event as well, as a rematch of one of the most dramatic World Championships finals in history between DING Ning and LIU Shiwen is on the cards on Sunday. After the draw, the world number one stated: "I know everyone is looking forward to watching me play LIU Shiwen again. However, this competition is very strong, with many top players, so I will have to play well just to get to the final, as will LIU." As stated by DING, the field here in Chengdu is very strong, with ZHU Yuling, CHEN Meng, FENG Tianwei, Ai FUKUHARA, Kasumi ISHIKAWA and Mima ITO all looking to make sure that a repeat of the 2015 World Championships final does not come to fruition. 14th stop of the US$3,000,000 GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour, the China Open is also the sixth and final Super Series event of the year, which is the top tier on the World Tour. The rest of the World Tour events are split into Major series (6 events) and Challenge (11 events). All players will be pushing for Race to Lisbon points in a bid to qualify for the World Tour Grand Finals. The top 16 singles and top eight doubles pairs on the Race to Lisbon Standings will be invited to the prestigious 2015 World Tour Grand Finals to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 10-13 December 2015. The GAC Group 2015 World Tour is offering a record US$3,000,000 in prize money, and will also be the most viewed in history, with more events shown live throughout the world on television

ITTF Announces Perfect Title Sponsor for 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships

ITTF announces Perfect Title Sponsor at 2016 WTTC Official Signing Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur

Perfect China Company Limited has been announced as the title sponsor of the 2016 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships, to be held on 28th February 2016 to 6th March 2016 at Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam, Greater Kuala Lumpur. This means the second ever ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships to be held in Malaysia after successfully hosting in 2000, will be officially called the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. At the official signing ceremony held today in Kuala Lumpur, the ITTF President Mr Thomas WEIKERT stated: "The ITTF is thrilled to have such a perfect partner asPerfect China Company Limited on board for the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. We are looking forward to working with them closely, as well as ourTable Tennis Association of Malaysia and Malaysia Major Events to make the 2016 World Championships, the biggest and best ever!" Established in 1994, Perfect China Company Limited has been a major player in China that specializes in health and nutrition food, cosmetics, as well as personal care products, through its network of over 9000 online & physical stores in China. The ITTF is very pleased to have Malaysia as the 2016 World Table Tennis Championships host as they are no strangers to world-class table tennis events, having hosted a memorable World Table Tennis Championships in 2000, Women's World Cup twice in 2008 and 2010, as well as the World Cadet Challenge in 2003. The Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships was allocated to Kuala Lumpur in 2013 as a successful bid by the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia more than proving themselves as very high level organisers. In hosting the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships, Malaysia are getting the world biggest table tennis event. The 2015 edition in alone achieved over 450 million people followers around the globe. This includes 330 million watching the event live on TV in 170 countries, 10 million unique visitors to the ITTF official website, 3 million Facebook followers, and 7 million YouTube views from 231 countries, and not forgetting the impressive coverage from over 1000 media. In addition to the attractive media values the event offers, the World Table Tennis Championships also provides substantial economic benefits for the host city, which Malaysia Major Events General Manager Tony NAGAMAIAH portrayed after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the ITTF today: "By hosting the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships, the country shall witness the synergy between sports and tourism with thousands of international attendees specifically traveling to Malaysia to be part of the event, at the same time generating more than RM33million in economic impact from tourist expenditure." The Malaysian public will have even more to cheer about, due to the recently approved rule that gives the host of the World Championships the option to be drawn in the Championships Division regardless of their qualification position. Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) have also decided to make use of the opportunity, with both its Men's and Women's team playing in the Championships Division among the world's top 24 teams.

Calderano & Wu Clinch Pan American Games Gold and Olympic Qualification

Hugo Calderano and Wu Yue bags singles gold at 2015 Pan American Games

Hugo CALDERANO (BRA) & WU Yue (USA) are the 2015 Pan American Games Champions and have hence secured their position at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The pair both won tight seven game matches in front of the capacity crowd today in Toronto, Canada. 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medalist Hugo CALDERANO was able to hold his nerve against his team mate and number one seed Gustavo TSUBOI (BRA) in the final, prevailing 11-6, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 11-2 to book his place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the city he has grown up in. "I just cannot describe how I feel, it's incredible, there are no words. It was a tight match, it was always going to be a tight match, we know each other so well" said the 19 year old. "I went two-one down; then I led three-two and 9-6 in the sixth game and lost that game; I cannot explain the seventh game. Now the feeling, it's just the same as last year when I won the bronze medal at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games; today is the equal." WU Yue continued the USA's dominance of the women's event, ensuring the USA took home the women's singles gold for the eighth time in ten attempts. WU, who works part time at the table tennis bar SPiN New York as a coach, won an extremely tight final against GUI Lin (BRA) 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7 to become the Pan American Champion. "After winning the second game, I started to think too much about winning the gold medal; that's why I lost the next three", said 25 year old WU. "It was important that I really concentrated better." "At the change of ends in the seventh game when I was losing 5-1, I didn't really change anything: I just tried to play my game, try to be the first to attack and eventually I won!" The win means that WU is only the second confirmed member of Team USA for the Rio 2016 Olympics, which is something that WU has always dreamt about: "I feel amazing. I am going to the Olympic Games. This is a dream come true, I can't believe it." The women's losing semi finalists Lily ZHANG (USA) and Caroline KUMAHARA (BRA) both take home the bronze medals as does Thiago MONTEIRO (BRA) and home town favourite Eugene WANG (CAN). Earlier in the week Brazil claimed the men's team gold led by singles champion CALDERANO and USA bagged the women's, which means WU heads back to New York with two gold medals. The table tennis world's attention now turns to North Korea where the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Pyongyang Open will take place on 29 July to 2 August 2015

Assar & Meshref Heading to the ITTF World Cups

Assar and Meshref book their places at ITTF World Cups

The Egyptian pair of Omar ASSAR and Dina MESHREF are the 2015 ITTF-Africa Cup Champions and in turn have qualified for the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup’s later this year. The 2015 ITTF-Africa Cup, which brings the best of the best African players together, concluded today in Yaoundé, Cameroon. To clinch the prestigious World Cup spot for the first time, ASSAR defeated the 2014 champion and ITTF Male Table Tennis Star Quadri ARUNA (NGR) 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7 in a very entertaining final. “I was well prepared for this tournament and now I can play in the World Cup”, said 24 year old ASSAR. “I have been in China for one month preparing and I was focused to win this tournament.” ASSAR will be very much at home at the Liebherr 2015 ITTF Men’s World Cup; the tournament will be staged later this year in Halmstad, Sweden where he lives. “I only dropped two games throughout the tournament and I didn’t lose a match; I am happy with my performance overall. In the final, I was positive and I did not give Aruna the chance to attack, I put him on the defence.” Becoming champion in Cameroon meant that MESHREF is off to her third Women’s World Cup, which will be staged in Sendai, Japan in late October. To clinch the title, MESHREF defeated her close friend and teammate Nadeen EL-DAWLATLY in the final 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6. “It is always a difficult match playing against Nadeen, my teammate, because we practise together and we know each other’s weaknesses”, stated MESHREF. “I hope to make this, my third appearance at the World Cup, a memorable one because I have yet to win a match in my two appearances.” The ITTF World Cups are amongst the most prestigious events in the world, with only the top 18 players qualifying for the event through the continental cups, plus the world champion and one wildcard. The Liebherr 2015 Men's World Cup will be held in Halmstad, Sweden on 16-18 October and the 2015 Women's World Cup in Sendai, Japan on 30 October - 1 November. Qualifications for the 2015 ITTF Men's & Women's World Cups: Current World Champion: MA Long (CHN), DING Ning (CHN) NN Table Tennis Club 2015 ITTF-Europe Top 16 Cup: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER), Marcos FREITAS (POR), Panagiotis GIONIS (GRE), LIU Jia (AUT), Petrissa SOLJA (GER), Irene IVANCAN (GER) GAC Group 2015 Asian Cup: XU Xin (CHN), Jun MIZUTANI (JPN), FENG Tianwei (SIN), LIU Shiwen (CHN) K-Sports 2015 ITTF-Oceania Cup: William HENZELL (AUS), LAY Jian Fang (AUS) Double Fish 2015 ITTF-North America Cup: Jimmy BUTLER (USA), ZHANG Mo (CAN) 2015 ITTF-Latin America Cup: Gustavo TSUBOI (BRA), Caroline KUMAHARA (BRA) 2015 ITTF-Africa Cup: Omar ASSAR (EGY), Dina MESHREF (EGY)

Brazil & the USA are the 2015 Pan American Champions

Celebratory selfie by the Women's Team medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games!

Brazil and the USA are the respective men’s and women’s 2015 Pan American Team Champions after a ruthless display today in Toronto, Canada. A sell out crowd were on hand to witness Brazil beating Paraguay 3-0 in the men’s and the USA defeating Brazil 3-0 in the women’s finals to show that they are the best teams in the Americas. Brazil continued their dominance of the men’s team event, by beating the number 10th seeds, and the surprise packets of the competition, Paraguay to win their seventh Pan American title. 19 year old Hugo CALDERANO, who is playing in his first Pan American Games set the tone for the Brazilians, thrashing Alejandro TORANZOS 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 in the opening match in just 18 minutes. “It is amazing that I have won gold at my first ever Pan Am Games. It was a lot of pressure playing in the first match today, but I am very pleased to have given the team the best possible start” stated the 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medalist. Teammate Thiago MONTEIRO did not waste any time, putting Brazil 2-0 up, after he defeated Marcelo AGUIRRE 12-10, 11-7, 11-4. With his 3rd teams gold medal in a row around his neck, he stated: "I feel I played well today because it was the final, for us there was a lot of pressure as we were expected to win and Paraguay could just play relaxed and freely. This result has given me confidence for the singles." CALDERANO partnered Gustavo TSUBOI to close out the seventh Pan American title for Brazil. The Brazilian duo outpowered the Paraguayan pair of Axel GAVILAN and Marcelo AGUIRRE 13-11, 12-10, 11-4 to seal a memorable gold medal. The silver medal for Paraguay was their first ever medal in the table tennis events at a Pan American Games; furthermore, it ranks alongside their best in any sport in the quadrennial gathering. Team USA won their sixth Pan American Women’s title by defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final. Brazil, who were the number one seeds heading into the event, were looking for their first Women’s team title, but were no match for the Americans. Jiaqi ZHENG gave the USA team a perfect start, defeating Lin GUI 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 in the opening fixture. ZHENG, who is a traditional penholder stated: “Before the match I was very nervous, as this means the world to me. It was the first told I played GUI, so I just tried to attack her as much as possible. I was very happy I could give the team a winning start.” 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medalist Lily ZHANG kept up the momentum by saving one match point to defeat Caroline KUMUHARA in the second game 11-3, 7-11, 11-4, 5-11, 12-10. A delighted 19 year old stated after the match: “We know each other so well, we have played many times. In the fifth game I tried not to think of the score, just about playing my style and keeping a clear head. It is an amazing feeling to be the champion. Words can’t describe how happy I am” To clinch the gold, Jiaqi ZHENG partnered with Yue WU to beat Gui LIN & Silva LIGIA in the doubles 12-10, 11-6, 11-8. Puerto Rico created history in both the men’s and women’s teams event by claiming bronze, which is their first ever table tennis Pan American Games medal. They were joined on the bronze medal podium by the hosts Canada, who also won bronze in the men’s and women’s team events. The 2015 Pan American table tennis event continues tomorrow with the commencement of the singles event, which runs until Saturday 25 July 2015

Fukuhara Defeats 14 Year old Ito in Korea Open Final

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Ai Fukuhara proves herself in Korea by beating Mima Ito

Ai FUKHARA has proven herself as a force still to be reckoned with, by becoming the GAC Group 2015 World Tour (Super Series) Korea Open Champion, which concluded today in Incheon, Korea. FUKUHARA beat 14 year old compatriot, Mima ITO, whom experts predict will take over her throne as the queen of Japanese table tennis. A devastating performance by the 26 year old world number eight proved too much for ITO, as FUKUHARA prevailed easily 11-6, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4 to win her second ITTF World Tour in 2015, and her fourth overall. An excited FUKUHARA stated: “I am very happy. Last week I lost very early at the Japan Open, and I was very upset. I am glad that I was able to come here and make up for it and become the champion. “Playing against Ito is not like playing against a regular 14 year old. Her level is much higher than that. Today I wanted to show everyone that I was still one of the best in Japan, and I am ahead of all these young talented girls.” The women’s final saw the experienced triumphed over youth, the opposite happened in the men’s final, as 23 year old JUNG Youngsik (KOR) defeated the 35 year old and more celebrated teammate,JOO Saehyuk in the men’s singles final. The number four seeded JUNG won his second ITTF World Tour title, after his victory at the Australian Open, 11-9, 11-1, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 over the third seeded JOO. The world number 20, who can expect to be ranked a lot higher once the next world rankings are released, stated: “It is an unbelievable feeling to be the Champion here in my home country. My victory at the Australian Open earlier this year was my first ever ITTF World Tour title, and it gave me immense confidence, as I now believe that I am good enough to be winning these big events.” “All my focus is now trying to qualify to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” It was more Korean action in the men’s doubles final, as team mates JUNG Youngsik & KIM Minseok battled for gold against colleagues CHO Seungmin & KIM Minhyeok (KOR). JUNG added another gold to his singles victory as him and his partner KIM, were too good for their opponents and won the tough, closer encounter 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6 to win gold in front of their family and friends. The women’s doubles final was more like a cadet event, with the average age of the four players 14.75 years! The younger of the pairs, the 14 year old duo of Mima ITO & Miu HIRANO defeated Hina HAYATA & Hitomi SATO (JPN) 8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 to win their third ITTF World Tour title. Their first title came back in Germany last year, when they were just 13 years old, with a combined age of 27 years and 145 days. This made them the youngest ever ITTF World Tour winners, earning them a Guiness World Record! Yui HAMAMOTO (JPN) continued Japan’s dominance of the under 21 events in 2015 by clinching the women’s U21 title, which is the second of her fledging career. In the semi final, the 17 year old broke Hitomi SATO’s (JPN) streak of four consecutive under 21 titles, which was a record. HAMAMOTO was too good for compatriot Miyu MAEDA in the final, winning 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 12-10. Masaki YOSHIDA (JPN) was inspired by his older brother Maharu’s amazing performance at last week’s Japan Open to claim the men’s under 21 title. YOSHIDA destroyed his teammate Asuka MACHI (JPN) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 in the final. The world’s best table tennis players now have a few weeks rest and training before the GAC Group 2015 World Tour continues with the Pyongyang Open taking place on 29 July – 2 August 2015.

The now 14 years old celebrate their official record with a selfie in Kobe! Mima ITO and Miu HIRANO's record breaking women's doubles win at the GAC Group 2014 World Tour German Open has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records. ITO and HIRANO became the youngest ever winner of an ITTF World Tour event, when they became the women's doubles champions in Magdeburg, Germany, when they were just 13 years old, with a combined age of 27 years and 145 days. The talented duo received plaques commemorating their achievements in a special ceremony organized by Guinness World Records during the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Japan in Kobe, Japan. During the ceremony a Guinness World Records representative stated: "This record is very special, due to the immense talent of these two girls. Today is a bright day celebrating this exceptional record, which I am sure will not be broken for a long time." ITO, who has now ranked 9th in the world at just 14 years of age, stated: "I am very grateful to everyone who helped me break this record. The day we won in Germany was very emotional and a day that I will never forget." ITO is used to breaking records, with the Japanese superstar already becoming the youngest ever winner of an ITTF Junior event at 10 years of age, the same age that she won a match at the Senior Japan National Championships, which has never been done before. HIRANO, who also has a bright future ahead of her added: "I am so proud of this record. I will continue practicing hard, so I can be the best table tennis player that I can, and create more history for Japan." Both players are now heading to the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Super Korea Open being held in Incheon, where they will hope to add more titles to their ever growing collection.

The GAC Group 2015 World Tour Korea Open has started in Incheon!

The US$3,000,000 GAC Group 2015 World Tour continues today, with the qualification for the Korea Open (Super Series) beginning in Incheon. Despite some teams pulling out of the 12th World Tour stop of the year due to the MERS outbreak, the ITTF is confident that the health of the players and officials is not at risk. ITTF's CEO Judit FARAGO stated: "We are happy that the Korea Open is going ahead as planned. ITTF and Korean Table Tennis Association have been very consciously checking on the situation, and we will do everything to ensure the health of all players and officials. "We have been in close contact with FISU, as the Universiade takes place in Korea at the same time as the Korea Open, and the World Health Organisation (WHO).Both organisations have suggested precautious health practice, but does not recommend travel restrictions to Korea." The Korea Open will be the first major event that YANG Haeun will be playing in her home country since she was crowned Mixed Doubles World Champion in Suzhou. The 6th seed stated: "t is a nice thought to be playing in my home event as a World Champion! I will be doing my best to make my country proud. Winning my first World Tour title here in my home country would be a dream come true." The 21 year old's biggest threat will come from the ever dangerous Japanese trio of Kasumi ISHIKAWA, Ai FUKUHARA and Mima ITO, who have all tasted success already on the World Tour in 2015. Jun MIZUTANI (JPN) is the top male seed here in Incheon, and will be looking for a better result than his second round exit last week at the Japan Open. This will be no easy task for the world number five, as he is due to meet the surprise finalist of the Japan Open, Maharu YOSHIMURA (JPN), in the second round. The local crowd will be hoping for the Australian Open Champion JUNG Youngsik and the legendary Joo Saehyuk to bring home the gold for Korea. The Korea Open, being held on 1-5 July 2015 is the 12th stop of the US$3,000,000 GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour, with all players pushing for Race to Lisbon points in a bid to qualify for the World Tour Grand Final later in the year. The qualification rounds beginning today, 1 July 2015 at the Namdong Gymnasium. The prestigious event sees participation of 115 men and women, all vying to be the 15th Korea Open Champion. The GAC Group 2015 World Tour is offering a record US$3,000,000 in prize money, and will also be the most viewed in history, with more events shown live throughout the world on television, and all the events being shown live on ITTF's live streaming platform, ITTF.com/itTV. The Korea Open is one of six GAC Group World Tour Super Series events in 2015, which is the top tier on the World Tour. The rest of the World Tour events are split into Major series (6 events) and Challenge (11 events) The top 16 singles and top eight doubles pairs on the Race to Lisbon Standings will be invited to the prestigious 2015 World Tour Grand Finals to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 10-13 December 2015.

Ito & Hirano's Record Recognized by Guinness World Records

The now 14 years old celebrate their official record with a selfie in Kobe!

Mima ITO and Miu HIRANO's record breaking women's doubles win at the GAC Group 2014 World Tour German Open has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records. ITO and HIRANO became the youngest ever winner of an ITTF World Tour event, when they became the women's doubles champions in Magdeburg, Germany, when they were just 13 years old, with a combined age of 27 years and 145 days. The talented duo received plaques commemorating their achievements in a special ceremony organized by Guinness World Records during the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Japan in Kobe, Japan. During the ceremony a Guinness World Records representative stated: "This record is very special, due to the immense talent of these two girls. Today is a bright day celebrating this exceptional record, which I am sure will not be broken for a long time." ITO, who has now ranked 9th in the world at just 14 years of age, stated: "I am very grateful to everyone who helped me break this record. The day we won in Germany was very emotional and a day that I will never forget." ITO is used to breaking records, with the Japanese superstar already becoming the youngest ever winner of an ITTF Junior event at 10 years of age, the same age that she won a match at the Senior Japan National Championships, which has never been done before. HIRANO, who also has a bright future ahead of her added: "I am so proud of this record. I will continue practicing hard, so I can be the best table tennis player that I can, and create more history for Japan." Both players are now heading to the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Super Korea Open being held in Incheon, where they will hope to add more titles to their ever growing collection.

XU Xin Wins 11th ITTF World Tour Title at Japan Open

XU Xin Wins 11th ITTF World Tour Title at Japan Open

Xu Xin claims 11th ITTF World Tour victory in Kobe, Japan!

XU Xin has broken the hearts of the capacity Japanese crowd by defeating local hero Maharu YOSHIMURA at the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Japan Open (Super Series) men's singles final. Chinese XU won his 11th ITTF World Tour title over the surprise finalist, 22 year old YOSHIMURA, who made his way to the final from qualification stage, 9-11, 11-2, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7 today in Kobe, Japan. XU, who won both the men's doubles and mixed doubles World Championships crowns earlier this year, stated "This is my first Japan Open, so it is very special for me to win here. Yoshimura played amazingly well. He is still young and is going to be a big rival to me and the Chinese team in the future." "He surprised me in the first set, and the large crowd supporting him put me off my game a little. I made some adjustments in the second game and I was very relieved when I won it, to make it 1-1, as then I believed I could win. Winning ITTF World Tour titles are always a great feeling!" CHEN Meng proved that she is still a top force in women's table tennis despite not being selected for the singles line-up at the recent World Championships team by becoming the women's champion. Making the title even sweeter for CHEN is that she shocked the current World Champion and world number one DING Ning in the semi final, to show her strength. In the women's singles final, CHEN won a tight seven-games battle against compatriot ZHU Yuling, who she also beat in the 2011 World Junior Table Tennis Championships final, 13-11,6-11,5-11,11-4,11-5,6-11,11-7 to win her fifth ITTF World Tour title. After her victory, the excited 21 year old stated "To win the tournament is very important, but more than that, is to improve as a player in each match, which will hopefully lead me to becoming the World Champion one day." "I am happy to win this championship. My last two matches were very tough, this victory will give me a lot of confidence in the future." World Champion MA Long (CHN) made up for his shocking secondround defeat in the singles, which was also his first defeat in 2015, by winning the men's doubles with teammate and singles champion XU Xin. The due had too much experience in the crucial moments against their Chinese colleagues FAN Zhendong & SHANG Kun in the final, winning 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8 to ensure the reigning World Champion does not go home empty handed. China's defensive pair of LIU Fei & WU Yang continued China's golden day by defeating Singapore's LIN Ye & ZHOU Yihan 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 to win the Women's doubles title on their first partnership. With China sweeping the titles in the senior's events, it was Japan's time to shine in the under 21 category. Hitomi SATO (JPN) won her fourth consecutive under 21 women's title, to score a record of 7 titles under her belt. Teammate Yuya OSHIMA (JPN) made up for losing the under 21 finals at the two previous ITTF World Tour events to become the champion in front of his home crowd. The world's best table tennis players now head to the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Korea Open (Super Series) being held in Incheon to fight for more Race to Lisbon points.