Chen Meng and Li Shiwen Secure Women’s Doubles Title, Seniority Prevails
GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour China Open
Courtesy of ITTF
Status prevailed in the final of the Women’s Doubles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour China Open in the city of Chengdu on Sunday August 9th; in an all-Chinese affair, Cheng Meng and Liu Shiwen, the no.7 seeds, emerged successful overcoming compatriots Gu Yuting and Mu Zi to secure the top prize.
Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen won in three straight games (11-3, 11-9, 11-8).
Satisfying Experience
“It is always satisfying to be a champion in your home country”, said Liu Shiwen. “We played a lot of tough opponents here, so we are very happy to have won the title.”
Success for Liu Shiwen, who not having been a member of the successful gold medal winning outfit at the London 2012 Olympic Games, very much has her eyes set on the South American country of Brazil in 2016.
“The Chinese team are trying a lot of different partners in the build up to the Olympic Games to see who is the strongest to defend our title in Rio”, explained Liu Shiwen, who was partnering Chen Meng for the first time.
Partnering Left Handers
It was for Liu Shiwen, the 13th time that she has won an ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles title in 20 final appearances; notably the most successful when partnering left handers.
She has won seven times with Ding Ning and three times with Guo Yue; the two further wins being one each with the right-handers Mu Zi and Zhu Yuling.
Partnership with Zhu Yuling
More Women’s Doubles titles for Liu Shiwen, it is the same for Chen Meng but the first with a partner other than Zhu Yuling.
Impressively, she has appeared in four ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles finals in partnership with Zhu Yuling and has only lost once; that was in 2013 in the Austrian city of Wels when beaten by colleagues Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxia.
Fourth Appearance
Meanwhile, for Mu Zi it was her fourth appearance in an ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles final and with her third partner; in addition to Gu Yuting and Liu Shiwen, who she partnered in Kuwait in 2014, the one further ally has been Li Xiaodan.
Four appearances for Mu Zi, it is now two for Gu Yuting; in 2013 she joined forces with Zhou Xintong in Yokohama.
Different partners but for Gu Yuting and Mu Zi, when they have previously reached an ITTF World Tour Women’s Doubles final, they have always won; successful apart, defeated together.
Visit ITTF for complete results from the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour China Open.
