Doha: Three-time ITTF World Tour champion, Shen Yanfei of Spain continued her international rehabilitation process, with a victory in the first preliminary round of women’s singles contest at the 2015 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open, yesterday at the Qatar Women’s Sports Community Hall in Doha.
The 35-year old, a mother of two children utilised her vast experience to overcome teenager Minnie Soo Wai Yam 4-1 with a 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 score-line, advancing to the final round of the qualifying stage of women’s singles event.
It is second international appearance for the Spaniard after giving birth to her second child last year.
She has a son aged five and half years old and seven month old daughter.
In 2010, some eight months after her first child was born, she competed in the Japan Open where she was beaten in the first round by Li Jie of the Netherlands.
However, the same year she won the Women’s Singles title at the Korean Open.
Yanfei made her return to the international scene this year at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Hungary Open in Budapest where she negotiated the first phase of proceedings, before overcoming Hong Kong’s Tie Yana in a close seven games duel, prior to Portugal’s Yu Fu in the second round. “I feel relaxed”, said Yanfei after winning her opening qualifying match.
“However, it is (comeback) quite difficult for me; the ball is different to when I played before, so adapting is not easy,” she added.
Apart from the women’s singles category, qualifying matches in men’s singles and men’s U-21 singles were also decided yesterday.
The main round of U-21 women’s singles and U-21 men’s singles will begin today.
The final qualifying round for open categories will also be competed.
THE PENINSULA
