A Happy Return to Hungary, Tie Yana Bridges the Gap
2016 ITTF Hungarian Open
Courtesy of ITTF

Defeat in the opening round one year ago in Budapest when beaten by Spain’s Shen Yanfei; perhaps Hong Kong’s Tie Yana did not have the happiest memories of Budapest.

Now one year later any negative thoughts of the historic city have been erased. Late on the afternoon of Sunday January 24th, she won the Women’s Singles title at the 2016 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open.

The no.15 seed, she upset the order of merit by beating Korea’s, Yang Haeun, the no.10 seed to arrest the title in a full distance seven games duel decided by the very narrowest of margins (11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9).

Six Years Earlier
Not the happiest memories; well maybe she did arrive in Budapest with happy memories.

Prior to this year’s tournament Tie Yana had appeared in ten ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles finals of which she had won eight. The most recent win was at the 2010 Hungarian Open in Budaörs, some eight miles distant from Budapest. On that occasion she had beaten Romania’s Elizabeth Samara to clinch gold; happy memories no doubt.

Six years later, she won again and thus created a record. It is the longest gap between wins in Women’s Singles events in the history of the ITTF Word Tour.

Exhausting Competition
“I’m so pleased to have win; this competition took a great deal out of me”, said Tie Yana who by beating Yang Haeun had reversed the decision of their most recent meeting.

They met in the first round of the Women’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour China Open in Chengdu; the duel was just as close as that enacted in Budapest with Yang Haeun securing victory by the minimal margin in the deciding game (11-3, 4-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10).

Next Stop
“Before the tournament I had not been well, so this victory gives me extra pleasure”, added Tie Yana. “It was a tight match, she fought and surprised me many times; the next stop is Germany, I hope I can reach the final there as well.”

The German Open starts on Wednesday 27th January in Berlin.

Again Silver Medal
A ninth ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles title for Tie Yana; for Yang Haeun it was again the silver medal.

She has now reached an ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles final on three occasions; the second step of the medal podium has always been her lot.

In 2012 she was beaten in the final in Spain by Kim Kyungah, last year in Argentina also by a Korean, she lost to Jeon Jihee; in Budapest it was the same outcome, an agonizing outcome, runners up spot by the narrowest of margins.