Maintaining National Pride, Task of Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling
2015 Women’s World Cup
Courtesy of ITTF
Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling are the players charged with maintaining Chinese pride, following the confirmation of the names of the players who will compete in the forthcoming 2015 Women’s World Cup, to be staged in the Japanese city of Sendai, Japan from Friday 30th October to Sunday November 1st.
It will be the first time that Zhu Yuling has competed in the prestigious event, a tournament that since the inaugural edition in 1996 in Hong Kong, when won by Deng Yaping, has always been claimed by a player from the People’s Republic of China.
Personal Pride
National pride at stake; for Liu Shiwen there is also personal pride. She is the player with the perfect record.
She has competed on three occasions and on each occasion she has emerged successful.
In 2009 she won in Guangzhou beating colleague Guo Yue in the final, before in 2012 in Huangshi, once again succeeding.
Extra Pressure
On that occasion she won when under a degree of extra pressure.
Guo Yue was forced to withdraw at the very last moment through injury; thus Liu Shiwen carried the Chinese banner alone. At the final hurdle she accounted for Elizabeta Samara, the Romanian making history by being the first ever and only European player to advance to the final.
Success against Elizabeta Samara in Huangshi, one year later in the Japanese city of Kobe, it was success in the final in opposition to colleague Wu Yang.
Four Wins
Three wins and if Liu Shiwen can succeed in Sendai, she will equal the number of titles won in the event by compatriots Wang Nan and Zhang Yining.
Wang Nan won in 1997 in Shanghai, the following year in Chinese Taipei, in 2003 in Hong Kong and in 2007 in Chengdu.
A most impressive record; it is the same for Zhang Yining. She clinched the title for the first time in Wuhu in 2001, before succeeding in 2002 in Singapore, in 2004 in Xiaoshan and one year later in Guangzhou.
Notably, Ding Ning, the defending champion and reigning World champion, will not compete; hence the introduction of Zhu Yuling.
Final List
Africa Cup: Dina Meshref (Egypt)
Asian Cup: Feng Tianwei (Singapore), Liu Shiwen (China), Zhu Yuling (China), Ai Fukuhara (Japan), Kasumi Ishikawa (Japan), Seo Hyowon (Korea), Doo Hoi Kem (Hong Kong), Cheng I-Ching (Chinese Taipei)
European Cup: Liu Jia (Austria), Petrissa Solja (Germany), Irene Ivancan (Germany), Li Jiao (Netherlands), Hu Melek (Turkey), Georgina Pota (Hungary), Li Jie (Netherlands)
Latin American Cup: Caroline Kumahara (Brazil)
North American Cup: Zhang Mo (Canada)
Oceania Cup: Jian Fang Lay (Australia)
Wild Card: Yang Haeun (Korea)
