DOHA: Hungary’s Dora Madarasz yesterday beat Hong Kong’s Li Ching Wan in seven games to reach the main draw of the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open.
Madarasz won 10-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 and will now meet Romania’s Elizabeta Samara in the main round of the competition at Women’s Sports Committee Hall today.
Ranked 72 in the world, Madarasz said she had to battle for her win.
“I’d played her before at the Polish Open two years ago and I lost four-two, so I felt before the match started today that I had a good chance,” Madarasz said after her match.
“It was very difficult to play against her, she plays faster than me and she attacks very quickly after the service,” Madarasz added.
At the recently concluded GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, Madarasz reached the semi-final stage of the Under 21 Women’s Singles event, only to lose in a full-distance five-game contest to Doo Hoi Kem.
“I just tried to keep focused and continue playing when she came back in the seventh game; I had lost a series of easy points,” Madarasz said. “I felt more comfortable in the rallies, so I decided to focus on making sure I put the ball on the table.”
It was a strong finish from Madarasz but that was not the case in the opening game.
“In the first game I had a chance,” Madarasz said. “I led 8-4 and 10-8 before losing,” she added.
Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem, the highest rated player in the preliminary stage of the Women’s Singles event, booked her place in the main draw by hammering Singapore’s Isabelle Siyun Li 11-6, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6.
Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu, the fourth listed on initial stage duty, beat Korea’s Yoo Eunchong 11-5, 12-10, 11-4, 9-11, 11-1 to reserve a place in the main draw.
Czech Republic’s Iveta Vacenovska and Germany’s Petrissa Solja, the respective second and third highest World ranked players in action, went out after defeats in the qualifiers yesterday.
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chia-Hui beat Vacenovska 12-10, 3-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 while Ukraine’s Tetyana Bilenko beat Solja 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6.
“Half way through the second game I changed my tactics; I was playing too far away from the table; time and again I was having to reach for the ball,” Bilenko said. “I tried to be more aggressive and also to attack more often.”
The movement closer to the table enabled Bilenko to change the amount of backspin on the ball and force errors from her adversary.
“Making the changes to the spin on the ball was a major reason why I won; especially when I did not put too much backspin on the ball, Petrissa made errors,” Bilenko added.
In other games yesterday, Spain’s Shen Yanfei beat Korea’s Park Youngsook 11-5, 11-4, 13-11, 11-6 while Hong Kong’s Tie Yana edged Hungary’s Szandra Pergel 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11.
Also yesterday, Ukraine’s Tetyana Bilenko beat Germany’s Petrissa Solja 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6 while
In another clash, Li Xue of France proved too solid, too reliable and too experienced for Brazil’s 19-year-old Caroline Kumahara. Li Xue won in four straight games 11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5. The main draw action starts today at 2pm.
THE PENINSULA
