Other Events | 16 Nov 2014
Chinese showcase in Stockholm
China’s FAN Zhendong won the Men’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open Stockholm, whilst ZHU Yuling won the Women’s Singles title. FAN Zhendong the no.2 seed, at the final hurdle accounted for Chinese National Team compatriot,
China’s FAN Zhendong won the Men’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open Stockholm, whilst ZHU Yuling won the Women’s Singles title.
FAN Zhendong the no.2 seed, at the final hurdle accounted for Chinese National Team compatriot, FANG Bo, the no.13 seed, to arrest the title. FAN Zhendong after winning the first two games had to withstand a spirited recovery from FANG Bo, who levelled matters in the fourth game, before emerging successful in six games.
Only 17 years old, in what was only his tenth appearance on the ITTF World Tour, he has reached the Men’s Singles final on five occasions; of those five duels, only once has he not secured gold and that occasion has a special significance.
ZHU Yuling, the no.2 seed accounted for compatriot, LIU Shiwen, the no.1 seed, in an all Chinese final. Previously, ZHU Yuling accounted for Germany’s HAN Ying, the no.4 seed in the penultimate stage. ZHU Yuling won in four straight games.
China’s YAN An partnering WANG Hao accounted for FAN Zhendong and XU Xin to capture the Men’s Doubles crown; they won in five games. For WANG Hao, it was no less than his 26th ITTF World Tour Men’s Doubles title. He won his first in 2001 in Yokohama in partnership with MA Lin; now in 2014 in harness with YAN An, he has won with his tenth partner. Conversely for YAN An it is his fourth ITTF World Tour Men’s Doubles title but in common with WANG Hao it is the second time he has won in Stockholm.
Occupying the fourth seeded position in the draw, LIU Shiwen and ZHU Yuling won the Women’s Doubles title. In an all-Chinese affair, at the final hurdle they overcame HU Limei and WU Yang, a pairing who had been seeded and had been required to play in the preliminary stage of proceedings.
