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Wang Hao suffers early exit with Ma, Chen
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-01 15:41 Second-seeded Wang Hao
suffered an early exit at the 17th Asian table tennis championships as the men's
singles Olympic silver medalist was nailed down by unseeded Japanese Mizutani
Jun 4-2 at the third round of 32 here on Thursday.
Taking the first set 11-8, the 22-year-old, tagged as one of the top pen-hold
players in the world, was given a difficult time at the second, being forced to
tie-breakers before winning 14-12.
Mizutani, nobody even in Asian table tennis, was not upset with the 2-0 down,
however, keeping to his own rhythm of the game and taking all four sets 11-9,
11-9, 11-5, 11-9 to upset the fourth-ranked Wang who failed to show signs of
that brilliant from his former international appearance.
"It's unbelievable. If only Wang stood up, he could not have been trounced
like that," said Liu Guoliang, head coach of China's men's team who coached Wang
as an advisor during the match.
Chen Qi and Ma Long, both from China, were also ousted after surprisingly
losing their games to anonymous players from South Korea and Japan, and Liu
concluded it to an unsturdy mind and weak nerve.
"There's nothing about techniques, tactics or physical conditions. For Chen
and Ma's defence, the umpires had handed them several penalty costs on serves,
but Wang Hao has no excuse," said the former player, who reigned the world table
tennis in 1990s as a "grand slam" winner of Olympics, World Championships and
World Cup.
Liu took it for the loses that the players had been busy with the domestic
championships of China's table tennis Super League before leaving for Jeju and
had not prepared well for the biyearly tournament.
"Whatsoever, they should blame themselves for the defeats and make
self-questioning thoroughly," he added.
Chen Qi was eliminated by South Korean Choi Hyun Jin 6-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3,
12-10, 11-7, while Yoshida Kaii, a Chinese-born paddler now playing for Japan,
saw off Ma Long 13-15, 10-12, 11-4, 12-10, 11-9, 14-12.
Other two Chinese players, Wang Liqin and Hao Shuai made easy throught to the
last 16 as the world champion and top-ranked Wang crushed Chan Koon Wah from
Malaysia 11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4, and Hao Shuai breezed past Sakamoto Ryusuke
from Japan 11-7, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8.
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