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| September 26, 2005 | Monday | Sha'aban 21, 1426 |
Honours for Zhang, Boll
YOKOHAMA (Japan), Sept 25: China’s Olympic and world champion Zhang Yining beat compatriot Guo Yan to defend her women’s singles title at the Japan Open table tennis tournament here on Sunday. The reigning world number one eliminated her team-mate Guo Yue 10-12, 15-13, 4-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-3, 12-10 in the semifinals earlier in the day and went on to win the final 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8.
With the victory, which earned her a cheque of 11,400 dollars, Zhang stretched her record against Guo to 10 wins against two defeats.
It was her second Pro Tour title of the season, following her win at Doha in February, and her 19th overall.
Zhang has also won the World Cup three times — in 2001, 2002 and last year — adding to her victory in the 2002 Asian Games.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Timo Boll regained the men’s singles title he won two years ago, downing Athens Olympic gold medallist Ryu Seung-Min of South Korea 11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9.
It was Boll’s seventh singles title on the tour, earning him 17,000 dollars and stretching his record against Ryu to two straight wins.
Boll made it a double victory when he teamed up with Christian Suss to win the men’s doubles title.
Boll and Suss, who won two titles together on the tour last year, posted their third career win beating Russia’s Pedor Kuzmin and Alexei Smirnov 11-6, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7.
In the women’s doubles final, China’s Bai Yang and Cao Zhen recorded their first win of the season, beating South Korea’s Kim Bok-Rae and Kim Kyung-Ah 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 17-15, 6-11, 12-10.—AFP
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