An outsider, evidence suggests otherwise

(by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor)
An outsider, evidence suggests otherwise

Canada’s Zhang Mo and Lily Zhang head the seeding in the Women’s Singles event at the forthcoming 2017 ITTF Pan American Cup, the three day tournament starting in San José, Costa Rica on Friday 28th July. They very much represent the North American challenge.

Listed immediately below are the spearheads of Latin American aspirations, Brazil’s Gui Lin and Caroline Kumahara,

However, I would suggest that the name to note; one of the favourites to book a place in the Uncle Pop 2017 ITTF Women’s World Cup to be staged in Markham, Canada later in the year, is that of Wu Yue of the United States. She is the fifth name in the order of merit.

Furthermore, arguably she has a special reason to reserve a berth in the Greater Toronto city; at the 2015 Pan American Games, staged in Markham, she remained cool, calm and collected throughout the whole tournament to win the Women’s Singles title.

At the quarter-final stage she beat Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz but more pertinently one round later overcame Caroline Kumahara before sealing the title by beating Gui Lin in a tension packed full distance final.

Success at the Pan American Games meant a place in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where, after accounting for Slovakia’s Eva Odorova, she was beaten by Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm.

Similarly, at last year’s Seamaster Women’s World Cup in Philadelphia it was defeat at European hands; she was beaten by Spain’s Shen Yanfei and by Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, whilst at the recent Liebherr 2017 World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany’s Petrissa halted aspirations in round one.

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