ITTF WJC: Brace of Team Titles for China in Cartagena
December 14, 2009

YAN An (CHN) Photo By: Rémy Gros

Courtesy of ITTF December 12, 2009 - China won both the Boys’ and Girls’ Team titles at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships in the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias on Saturday December 12, 2009 and thus retained the crowns, won twelve months earlier, when the annual tournament was held in Madrid.

Both contests were resolved by the three matches to nil margin but they were totally different duels.

The boys’ outfit comprising Fang Bo, Yan An and Lin Gaoyuan was stretched to the limit by Germany, the girls’ trio of Wu Yang, Cao Lisi and Chen Meng was simply awesome.

Both Fang Bo and Yan An needed the full five games to record respective wins over Philipp Floritz and Patrick Franziska in the opening duels, the latter leading 10-5 in the vital deciding game before losing seven points in a row to concede victory.

Philipp Floritz and Patrick Franziska fought for the cause as did Ricardo Walther against Lin Guoyuan but the defeat of Patrick Franziska from a winning position had deflated the Germans.

Lin Guoyan won in three straight games.

The Chinese had been severely tested by a splendid German trio.

However, the Chinese girls were simply a class apart, in a class of their very own.

En route to the final they had won every fixture by three matches to nil with straight games victories being secured on each visit to the table; in the final tradition was maintained.

Wu Yang accounted for Misaki Morizono, Cao Lisi defeated Ayuka Tanioka and Chen Meng ended matters by overcoming Marina Matsawa.

It was a simply awesome performance.

Boys’ Team Final
CHINA 3-0 GERMANY
Fang Bo vs. Philipp Floritz 7-11, 14-12, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6
Yan An vs. Patrick Franziska 10-12, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10
Lin Gaoyuan vs. Ricardo Walther 11-6, 14-12, 11-5

Girls’ Team Final
CHINA 3-0 JAPAN
Wu Yang vs. Misaki Morizono 11-5, 11-3, 11-9
Cao Lisi vs. Ayuka Tanioka 11-3, 11-7, 12-10
Chen Meng vs. Marina Matsuzawa 11-2, 11-5, 11-6