Other Events | 22 Jun 2014

YU Ziyang beats the odds in Japan

At the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Japan Open China’s YU Ziyang not seeded and required to negotiate the preliminary stage, won the Men’s Singles title. In addition he did not have home support; in fact quite the reverse, he beat the host nation’s Jun

At the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Japan Open China’s YU Ziyang not seeded and required to negotiate the preliminary stage, won the Men’s Singles title. In addition he did not have home support; in fact quite the reverse, he beat the host nation’s Jun MIZUTANI, the second seed, at the final hurdle.

YU Ziyang won in six games (8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8) and in so doing becomes the youngest ever player to win a Men’s Singles title on the ITTF World Tour. YU Ziyang; born on Friday 23rd May 1998, he was 16 years and 30 days old when succeeding in Yokohama.

The winner in Kobe in 2011, when beating Ai FUKUHARA in the final, once again the top step of the podium in Japan belonged Singapore’s FENG Tianwei and once again the player who had to settle for the second step was from the host nation. At the final hurdle of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Japan Open in Yokohama, FENG Tianwei, the top seed, overcame Kasumi ISHIKAWA, the second seed, to clinch the title. FENG won in six games (12-10, 9-11, 3-11, 11-3, 11-5, 13-11) to collect her third ITTF World Tour title of the year and the seventh of her career in what is now 13 finals.