Experienced Olympians Head List for ITTF-North America Cup
Courtesy of ITTF
Bronze medalist at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Lily Zhang of the United States will be on duty at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games; it is a tournament to which she is no stranger; she competed in London in 2012.
Equally, she is no stranger to the ITTF-North American Cup; this year’s edition to be staged in its entirety on Friday June 24th.
Home for the competition is Burnaby, a city located, to the east of Vancouver in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Also No Stranger
Furthermore, Canada’s Zhang Mo, who one day after Lily Zhang had reserved her place in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by emerging successful in the second event at the North American qualification tournament in Markham, Toronto, is no stranger to the continental event.
Present at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, like Lily Zhang, Zhang Mo has competed in four of the five editions of the ITTF-North America Cup; no female player has been present on every occasion.
Past Winners
Furthermore, both Lily Zhang and Zhang Mo are past winners of the event, always being most competitive; Zhang Mo has always reached the final, Lily Zhang has always progressed to the penultimate round.
Zhang Mo was runner up in the first two editions of the tournament in 2011 and in 2012, on both occasions staged in Mississauga, Toronto, on both occasions losing to Ariel Hsing of the United States.
Good Omen
In 2013 in Westchester, New York, she did not compete but she was on duty last year in Markham and more pertinently the previous year in 2014 in Burnaby, that could be a good omen.
On both meetings she emerged successful and thus this year is seeking to make it three in a row. In 2014 she beat Crystal Wang of the United States, last year it was Lily Zhang.
The runners up spot for Lily Zhang one year ago; in 2011 and 2014 it was a semi-final exit; in the former she was beaten by Ariel Hsing, in the latter by colleague Crystal Wang.
Better News
However, in 2013 it was better news, just as Zhang Mo is aiming for three in a row; Lily Zhang ended the hopes of Ariel Hsing completing the trilogy of success. She beat her American colleague in the final.
Wu Yue and Zheng Jiaqi
Bound for Burnaby and for Rio de Janeiro; likewise compatriots of Lily Zhang, Wu Yue and Zheng Jiaqi are on duty in both cities.
Wu Yue qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by winning the Women’s Singles title at the 2015 Pan American Games in Markham, Toronto; Zheng Jiaqi completes the United States line-up for the Women’s Team competition.
From Hungary to Slovenia
Both are worthy contenders for honors but have yet to show their worth outside the borders of Pan America; earlier this year they competed on the ITTF World Tour in Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia but with limited success.
Wu Yue could count herself unfortunate that in Slovenia she faced Korea’s Kim Kyungah, the Athens Olympic Games bronze medalist returning to international duty, having in Hungary and Croatia progressed to the main draw. In the former again Korea proved the nemesis, an opening round defeat when facing Choi Hyojoo was the order of the day, in Croatia it was a second round exit, losing to Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto.
Pen-Hold Grip Player
Meanwhile, for Zheng Jiaqi, notably a pen-hold grip player, her best was a first round exit in Slovenia; beaten by Russia’s Maria Dolgikh.
It is for both Wu Yue and Zheng Jiaqi, the first appearance in the event.
Previous Experience
However for the remaining four contenders, all have previous experience of competing in the event.
Angela Guan of the United States, who won the Girls’ Singles event at the 2015 Canadian Junior and Cadet Open is a name to note, is making her third appearance in the tournament as is Canada’s Justina Yeung.
Meanwhile for Canada’s Alicia Cote and Ivy Liao is the second time they have been on duty.
Format of Play
Play will be organized on a knock-out basis with a play-off match for third place.
- Men’s Entry List
- Women’s Entry List
