Other Events | 25 Apr 2015
MA Long does his draw for the Men’s Singles
The countdown is finally over, the eagerly anticipated QOROS 2015 World Table Tennis Championships begins tomorrow 26 April 2015 in Suzhou, China. The event got officially underway with a spectacular opening ceremony and draws for all the five events: Men
The countdown is finally over, the eagerly anticipated QOROS 2015 World Table Tennis Championships begins tomorrow 26 April 2015 in Suzhou, China. The event got officially underway with a spectacular opening ceremony and draws for all the five events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
The draw now has everyone talking about a possibility of a repeat of the epic clash at the London 2012 Olympic in the Women’s Singles, with China’s world number 1 DING Ning and her compatriot, reigning World and Olympic champion, LI Xiaoxia, both getting drawn on different sides.
LI, who won the Olympics clash in a seven-games thriller to add on to her grand slam collection, stated: “My health condition probably isn’t quite good compared to other players. Right now I’m undergoing a positive recovery. After all, I’m strong enough to take the championship. I tend to pay more attention to my health condition as oppose to other things right now.”
Japan’s table tennis prodigy who won her first World Tour Super Series title in Germany earlier last month, Mima ITO is expected to face her compatriot Ai FUKUHARA at the Round of 16 on her debut here in Suzhou. ITO will be the same age as when FUKUHARA debuted in 2003 – 14 years old.
Similarly in the Men’s Singles, fans are expected to witness another tough battle between Grand slam champion ZHANG Jike (CHN) and his team captain, World number one MA Long. ZHANG will be striving for his third consecutive world championships title, while MA aiming to claim his first here in Suzhou.
The pair last met at a world title event, the LIEBHERR 2014 Men’s World Cup where ZHANG was successful in collecting his second title en route to his second career grand slam dream.
During the pre match press conference, ZHANG shared that “I definitely have some pressure defending the title and it’s my best wish to win it again. But I guess it also has to do with what other players have in their minds, especially those who are sitting here today”, hinting MA.
Meanwhile, strong challengers to take the throne from the Chinese, Germany’s Timo Boll and Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, Marcos FREITAS (POR), and Japan’s top player Jun MIZUTANI each had favorable draws, and are expected to go deep into the main draw to fight for the title as the first non-Chinese champion after Werner SCHLAGER (AUT) in 2003.
In the Men’s Doubles, mixed nation pair of MA Long and Timo BOLL will expect a face-off against China’s pair of ZHANG Jike and XU Xin early at the second round of the main draw.
Qualifications that includes players from 100 countries battling for the remaining places at the main draw will start tomorrow 26 April 2015 in front of a capacity crowd with all tickets being sold out!
