After 19 events 1 393 players 7 461 matches 34 708 games and 635 462 points the line up for the 1 million dollar GAC 2013 Group World Tour Grand Finals in Dubai on 9-12 January 2014 has been established. The top 16 men and 16 women from the World Tour After 19 events 1 393 players 7 461 matches 34 708 games and 635 462 points the line up for the 1 million dollar GAC 2013 Group World Tour Grand Finals in Dubai on 9-12 January 2014 has been established. The top 16 men and 16 women from the World Tour standings who have also played in at least five World Tour events plus one UAE player for both the men’s and women’s singles make the cut to attend the most lucrative table tennis event in the world. World number one MA Long (CHN) topped the men’s charts after winning 3 World Tour Super Series events which is the highest of the three World Tour tiers. 16 year old sensation FAN Zhendong (CHN) finished second after becoming the youngest ever winner of a World Tour event at the Polish Open in November and followed it up a week later with gold at the German Open to establish himself as the next big thing in table tennis less than 12 months after becoming the World Junior Champion. The World Tour Grand Finals will cap an unexpected rise to fame for Masato SHIONO (JPN). The defender was so far down the Japanese rankings that he had to pay his own entry fees for the Japan Open. He ended up winning from the qualification stage the first ever player to do so. The 27-year-old then used this prize money to travel to four other World Tour events which included a victory at the Czech Open to secure his berth in Dubai. France’s Abdel-Kader SALIFOU battled his way to qualification through the lower tiers of the event winning three Challenge Series titles. This will give heart to fellow Challenge Series players that if they excel the sky is the limit. 2011 World Champion DING Ning (CHN) finished first in the women’s World Tour standing and will head to Dubai full of confidence after winning three World Tour titles in 2013. World and Olympic Champion LI Xiaoxia (CHN) world number one LIU Shiwen (CHN) Japan Open champion AI FUKUHARA (JPN) and Viktoria PAVLOVICH (BLR) are also on the plane to Dubai after finishing in the top 16. In addition to the 16 men and women singles players the top 8 men and women doubles pairs and 8 men and women from the under-21 events will make up the entry list in the the Grand Finals.. Amongst the doubles qualifiers is 13-year-old Japanese prodigy Mima ITO who will partner Miu HIRANO (JPN) in Dubai. ITO who is the youngest player to line up in the senior events in Dubai is a remarkable 27 years younger than LI Jiao (NED) who will play in the women’s singles showing that table tennis has no age barriers. After a strong year NG Wing Nam (HGK) topped the women’s under-21 standings just ahead of Germany’s Petrissa SOLJA. Japan’s Masataka MORIZONO was the most successful in the men’s under-21 standings with HUNG Tzu-Hsiang (HGK) coming in second. The Qualifiers Men’s Singles: 1. MA Long (China) 2. FAN Zhendong (China) 3. XU Xin (China) 4. Masato SHIONO (Japan) 5. YAN An (China) 6. ZHANG Jike (China) 7. WANG Hao (China) 8. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany) 9. Abdel-Kader SALIFOU (France) 10. Kazuhiro CHAN (Japan) 11. CHUANG Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei) 12. Koki NIWA (Japan) 13. KIM Minseok (Korea) 14. Taku TAKAKIWA (Japan) 15. Kenta MATSUDAIRA (Japan) 16. Cazuo MATSUMOTO (Brazil) Host Nation: Abdulla Al-MOHAISENI (United Arab Emirates) Women’s Singles: 1. DING Ning (China) 2. Liu Shiwen (China) 3. Ai FUKUHARA (Japan) 4. LI Xiaoxia (China) 5. Seo HYOWON (Korea) 6. FENG Tianwei (Singapore) 7. Viktoria PAVLOVICH (Belarus) 8. Kasumi ISHIKAWA (Japan) 9. ZHU Yuling (China) 10. LI Jiao (Netherlands) 11. Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania) 12. LEE Ho Ching (Hong Kong) 13. JIANG Huajun (Hong Kong) 14. CHENG I-Ching (Chinese Taipei) 15. JEON Jihee (Korea) 16. Maria DOLGIKH (Russia) Host Nation Majd ALBOOSHI (United Arab Emirates) Men’s Doubles: 1. GAO Ning / LI Hu (Singapore) 2. Alexey LIVENTSOV / Mikail PAIKOV (Russia) 3. CHIANG Hung-Chieh / HUANG Sheng-Sheng (Chinese Taipei) 4. Robert GARDOS / Daniel HABESOHN (Austria) 5. Kazuhiro CHAN / Kenji MATSUDAIRA (Japan) 6. KIM Minseok / SEO Hyundeok (Korea) 7. YANG Zi / ZHAN Jian (Singapore) 8. CHEN Chien-An / CHUANG Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei) Women’s Doubles: 1. DING Ning / LI Xiaoxia (China) 2. CHENG I-Ching / HUANG Yi-Hua (Chinese Taipei) 3. Zhenqi BARTHEL / SHAN Xiaona (Germany) 4. PARK Yoongsook / YANG Haeun (Korea) 5. Linda CREEMERS / LI Jiao (Netherlands) 6. JIANG Huajun / LEE Ho Ching (Hong Kong) 7. Miu HIRANO / Mima ITO (Japan) 8. FENG Tianwei / YU Mengyu (Singapore) Under 21 Men’s Singles: 1. Masataka MORIZONO (Japan) 2. HUNG Tzu_Hsiang (Chinese Taipei) 3. Patrick FRANZISKA (Germany) 4. Maharu YOSHIMURA (Japan) 5. Quentin ROBINOT (France) 6. Julien INDERHERBERG (Belgium) 7. Simon GAUZY (France) 8. WU Zhikang (Singapore) Under 21 Women’s Singles: 1. NG Wing Nam (Hong Kong) 2. Petrissa SOLJA (Germany) 3. Misaki MORIZONO (Japan) 4. LEE Ho Ching (Hong Kong) 5. Shiho MATSUDAIRA (Japan) 6. Sofia POLCANOVA (Austria) 7. YANG Haeun (Korea) 8. LIN Ye (Singapore)

The top two seeds in the Boys’ Team event at the 2013 ITTF World Junior Championships in Rabat China and Japan; both duly posted three-nil wins to conclude their second stage group matches unbeaten. Thus quarter-final places were booked in style. China w The top two seeds in the Boys’ Team event at the 2013 ITTF World Junior Championships in Rabat China and Japan; both duly posted three-nil wins to conclude their second stage group matches unbeaten. Thus quarter-final places were booked in style. China with LIANG Jingkun ZHOU Qihao KONG Lingxuan beat Germany with Kilian ORT QIU Lang QIU Dang; whilst Japan’s Yuto MURAMATSU Masataka MORIZONO Asuksa SAKAI defeated Hong Kong’s LAM Siu Hang LI Hon Ming Daryl HUNG. Results as seeding predicted; for the third seeds France after some tense moments it was the eventual desired outcome but not for Chinese Taipei. The fourth seeds they suffered a surprise three-nil defeat at the hands of Korea. However the contest to attract the attention was that between France and Brazil a three-one verdict was the end result with Tristan FLORE the backbone of the French success. He beat both Vitor ISHIY (11-7 11-7 11-9) and Hugo CALDERANO (7-11 11-9 6-11 12-10 11-6) with the one further French success coming from Alexandre ROBINOT; in the third match of the duel he overcame Luan OLIVEIRA (12-10 11-2 11-7). The one win for Brazil was recorded by Hugo CALDERANO; in the second match of the fixture he accounted for Enzo ANGLES (4-11 11-6 12-14 11-7 11-5). One surprise result as the second stage fixtures progressed in the Boys’ Team event and there was one upset in the Girls’ Team competition. Romania the fifth seeds accounted for Korea the fourth seeds by three matches to one with Bernadette SZOCS the architect of the win. She beat LEE Dason in a tantalising opening match by the very narrowest of margins (11-5 9-11 8-11 11-6 16-14) before bringing matters to a conclusion by overcoming JUNG Yumei (11-7 9-11 12-10 11-7). The one further win for Romania came in the third match of the fixture with Adina DIACONU defeating LEE Zion (13-11 11-5 11-7); JUNG Yumi overcame Adina DIACONU in the second match of the contest (11-8 9-11 11-9 11-5). China  beat Germany’s Theresa KRAFT WANG Yuan Alena LEMMER by three matches to nil as did Japan against Chinese Taipei.

At the first day of the 2013 ITTF World Junior Table Tennis Championships in Rabat the first phase of the qualifications concluded. Top ranked teams in their respective Groups will join top seeds in second group phase. Poland’s Jakub DYJAS Patryk ZATOWKA At the first day of the 2013 ITTF World Junior Table Tennis Championships in Rabat the first phase of the qualifications concluded. Top ranked teams in their respective Groups will join top seeds in second group phase. Poland’s Jakub DYJAS Patryk ZATOWKA and Adrian WIECEK beat both Nigeria and Tunisia. Now they will play in the Group with Japan and Hong Kong. Italy’s Leonardo MUTTI Alessandro BACIOCCHI and Maurizio MASSARELLI will have the toughest task. They will meet China and Germany. In previous phase Italy overcame Egypt and Australia. Sweden’s Carl AHLANDER Anton KALLBERG and Henrik JOHANSSON beat Chile and Morocco. In second phase they will play against Korea and Taipei. In Junior Girls Event Croatia’s Mateja JEGER Lea RAKOVAC and Dorina SREBRNJAK beat Egypt and Australia. They will play against China and Germany. Russia’s Daria CHERNOVA Ekaterina GUSEVA and Elizaveta KHLYZOVA will meet Japan and Taipei after they succeed against Serbia and Nigeria.  

YAN An won the Men’s Singles whilst CHEN Meng clinched the Women’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm. Occupying the second seeded position in the draw YAN An beat Chinese National Team colleague and third seed YAN An won the Men’s Singles whilst CHEN Meng clinched the Women’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm. Occupying the second seeded position in the draw YAN An beat Chinese National Team colleague and third seed FAN Zhendong in six games to arrest the title. In so doing ended the incredible 17 match unbeaten run of his 16 year-old colleague on this year’s ITTF World Tour. Three weeks earlier FAN Zhendong had won in Poland two weeks previously in Germany. For YAN An it was a breakthrough. It was his first ever ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles title his only other previous final being earlier this year in Qatar. Two years earlier crowned World Junior champion in Bahrain CHEN Meng justified her exalted position in the draw. The top seed she accounted for colleague LI Xiaodan the ninth seed in an all-Chinese. Defeat for LI Xiaodan who was playing in her first ever ITTF World Tour final for CHEN Meng it was her fourth final and her fourth win; she has never been the runner up; the previous successes were in Doha in 2012 and in Suzhou in both 2012 and earlier this year. The host nation’s Jens LUNDQVIST and China’s XU Xin emerged as the winners of the Men’s Doubles title. Occupying the fourth seeded place in the draw they beat Pär GERELL and YAN An the third seeds to clinch gold succeeding in four games). It was the second time in the history of the ITTF World Tour that pairs combining players from different national associations had played their colleagues in a Men’s Doubles final; the one previous occasion being earlier this year in the northern Chinese city of Changchun when China and Germany had joined forces. On that occasion Timo BOLL and MA Long beat Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and YAN An to secure the title. The winner earlier in the year in Zagreb Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA collected her second career Under 21 Women’s Singles on the ITTF World Tour. In the Eriksdalshallen at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open the second seed she secured the top prize by overcoming Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands the third seed in six games. Quentin ROBINOT lost his final encounter in Men’s U21 Event against Taipei’s HUNG Tzu-Hsiang.  

In next 10 days 96 junior boys and 96 junior girls will fight for the titles in Team’s and Singles Events at the greatest test of the generation – ITTF Junior World Championships. The World Championships commences tomorrow in Rabat Morocco. There a In next 10 days 96 junior boys and 96 junior girls will fight for the titles in Team’s and Singles Events at the greatest test of the generation – ITTF Junior World Championships. The World Championships commences tomorrow in Rabat Morocco. There are 7 gold medals on offer in Rabat: boy’s teams girl’s teams boy’s singles girl’s singles boy’s doubles girl’s doubles and mixed doubles. In Team’s Event there will be three stages. Stage 1 and 2 will be played in a round robin basis (groups of three teams). Stage 3 will be played in a progressive knock out basis dividing the teams in three groups based on the results on Stage 1 and Stage 2. Team’s events will open the tournament. Top seeded in Boys Event is China followed by Japan France Taipei Brazil Hong Kong Germany Poland Italy Sweden Argentina Chile USA Egypt Nigeria Tunisia Australia New Zealand and Morocco. In Girls Event China is topping the list.  Below them are: Japan Hong Kong Korea USA Romania Taipei Germany Croatia India Russia Brazil Serbia Puerto Rico Egypt Canada Algeria Australia Nigeria Morocco. China defends the title in both Teams’ events FAN Zhendong and ZHU Yuling won the titles in their respective Junior Boy’s and Girls Singles Events. LIN Gaoyuan and XU Chenhao clinched the title in Boys Doubles and GU Yuting and ZHU Yuling in Girls Doubles Event. FAN Zhendong and LIU Gaoyang were the Mixed Doubles champions in Hyderabad India. The youngest boy in the competition is JHA Knack (USA) who is 13 year-old whilst he youngest girl in the competition is Esther ORIBAMISE (NGR) who just turned 12 before the Championships. Last years champion FAN Zhendong (CHN) went on to have unrivaled success this year becoming the youngest ever player to win a World Tour event (Poland and Germany) at age of 16.

LI Fen and Matilda EKHOLM the host nation’s leading ladies emerged successful in their opening round Women’s Singles encounters at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open. They reached the Round of 16 in front of delighted crowd in Eriksdalshall LI Fen and Matilda EKHOLM the host nation’s leading ladies emerged successful in their opening round Women’s Singles encounters at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open. They reached the Round of 16 in front of delighted crowd in Eriksdalshallen stadium in Stockholm LI Fen crowned European champion six weeks ago in Austria’s Werner SCHLAGER Academy upset the pecking order by beating Japan’s Sayaka HIRANO the no.4 seed in six games. Matilda EKHOLM had to suffer against the elegant Serbian defender Ana-Maria ERDELJI but eventually prevailed in seven games. EKHOLM will now meet China’s CHEN Meng the no.1 seed. She beat the Czech Republic’s Hana MATELOVA; LI Jiao of the Netherlands the no.2 seed overcame Laura PFEFER of France whilst Turkey’s HU Melek the no.5 seed accounted for Hungary’s Mercedes NAGYVARADI. WU Jiaduo of Germany defeated Russia’s Maria DOLGIKH. In men’s Singles Event home crowd will have their favorites tomorrow as well. Jens LUNDQVIST overcame Poland’s Jakub KOSOWSKI WHILST Par GERELL beat Jeremy PETIOT of France. Medal winner from the recent European Championships Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece overcame VANG Bora of Turkey but Turkey will have their representative tomorrow. LI Ahmet overcame Frane KOJIC of Croatia.  

In Stockholm’s Eriksdalshallen the battles at the at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open reached second phase. The qualifications concluded with few upsets. In Group one in Women’s Singles event Naomi OWEN of Wales beat Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIR In Stockholm’s Eriksdalshallen the battles at the at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open reached second phase. The qualifications concluded with few upsets. In Group one in Women’s Singles event Naomi OWEN of Wales beat Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIRA the highest World ranked player in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event in five games to secure the top spot and place in the main draw. Also in Group 10 Mercedes NAGYVARADI of Hungary upset the order and overcame Haruka SAKAI of Japan for the place among top 32. Laura PFEFER of France followed the same path. She accounted for Yulia PROKHOROVA of Russia. There were successes for the host nation’s LI Fen Russia’s Polina MIKHAILOVA Serbia’s Ana-Maria ERDELJI and Carole GRUNDISCH of France; all posted reasonably comfortable victories to complete their group stage matches unbeaten and thus reserve main draw places. In Men’s Singles Event the host nation’s Simon ARVIDSSON was the man in form. Listed at no.396 on the current Men’s World Rankings he beat Thomas Le BRETON of France named at no.185 in five games  to secure first position in the group and a place in the main draw. His compatriot Victor BRODD joined him after victory over Admir DURANSPAHIC of Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside Harald ANDERSSON. Swede beat Cedric NUYTINIC of Belgium. Russia’s Fedor KUZMIN secured first place in his group by beating England’s David MCBEATH Ukraine’s Kou LEI overcame Monaco’s Anthony PERETTI .

At the opening day at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm the host nation’s Linda BERGSTRÖM was the player to cause the biggest surprise in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event. Listed at no.367 on the Women’s Worl At the opening day at the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm the host nation’s Linda BERGSTRÖM was the player to cause the biggest surprise in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event. Listed at no.367 on the Women’s World Rankings she beat Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIRA named at no.76 in five games; a meritorious win especially when taken into consideration that Shiho MATSUDAIRA is the highest World ranked player in action in the first phase of the Women’s Singles event. However the efforts of the 18 year old defender who represents the Stockholm based Ångby Club were in vain. Earlier in the day she lost against Naomi OWEN of Wales. China’s GU Ruochen beat Russia’s Valentina SABATOVA Yuka ISHIGAKI defeated Pauline CHASSELIN of France; whilst Spain’s Sara RAMIREZ accounted for Sweden’s Josefin LUND and the latter’s colleague LI Fen the European champion overcame Russia’s Svetlana MOKHNACHEVA. In men’s Singles Event Jesper HEDLUND of Sweden ranked at the position no. 605 in the World beat World’s number 172 LEE Chia Sheng of Taipei whilst in all other groups favorites prevailed.