(By by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor)
Wu Yue seeking repeat performance, currently on track
Crowned Pan American Games champion in 2015, Wu Yue of the United States made her intentions clear on Sunday 17th September that she has every intention of repeating the feat at the current 2017 ITTF Pan American Games in Cartagena de Indias.
On the concluding day of action, she booked her place in the final of the Women’s Singles even to be held later in the day but came perilously close to defeat.
The no.3 seed, after accounting for Cuba’s Lisi Castillo, the no.8 seed, in four straight games (11-3, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8), she was stretched to the very limit by Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, the no.5 seed (9-11, 11-1, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-13, 12-10), a player very much in form; one round earlier at the quarter-final stage, the 17 year old had caused somewhat of an upset by beating Canada’s Zhang Mo, the top seed (12-10, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6).
A quarter-final upset, there was one more; Crystal Wang of the United States, the no.6 seed, overcame Gui Lin, the no.4 seed and like Bruna Takahashi from Brazil by the minimal two point margin in the deciding seventh game (3-11, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10) to reserve her place in the penultimate round.
However, there was to be no more progress, she was beaten by Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the no.2 seed, (11-5, 13-11, 11-7, 13-11). One round earlier, Adriana Diaz had ended the adventures of Mexican qualifier, Yadira Silva (11-7, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9).
Progress for Adriana Diaz in the Women’s Singles event but not in the Women’s Doubles competition in partnership with elder sister Melanie; the no.2 seeds, the duo experienced a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Cuba’s Lisi Castillo and Idalys Lovet, the no.5 seeds (11-7, 13-11, 11-9).
Alas for the Cubans, the euphoria was short lived; in the penultimate round they were beaten by Crystal Wang and Wu Yue, the no.3 seeds (9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-5).
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