Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

China to miss women's singles final
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-02 15:42

World number two NiuJianfeng lost 4-2 to Lau Sui Fei from Hong Kong, China here on Friday to hand out a 15th gold chase for China in the women's singles event at the Asian table tennis championship.

The defending champion, a sole quarter-final surviver of China as Guo Yue and Guo Yan were ousted, was beaten 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10 to miss the final, after the 13th-ranked Lau snatched down Guo Yue 4-3 in an unexpected quarter-final win and Guo Yan suffered a 4-2 defeat to former Chinese international Lin Ling, now playing for Hong Kong team.

Trailing 3-1 on sets, the top seed here came back to take the fifth set 11-4 with a 7-2 run as she played smart to move Lau around the table.

The fifth set win gave the 24-year-old a silver-line but did not guarantee a performance comeback. Niu called a timeout herself when down 4-1 and smashed to narrowly cut the deficit to 6-4 before launching a 3-1 run to tie on 7-all.

Giving up a point to Lau with a striking wide, Niu again leveled it on 8-8 before she backhanded the ball kissing the net to grand the Hong Kong player two match points on 10-8.

Niu saved two points to force a tie-breaker using forehanded errors from the opponent, but was beaten by Lau's top-spin play asshe twice struck long.

It will be the first time in 31 years for China to miss a women' s singles final at the biennial tournament.



David Beckham at training session with England
Gianluigi Buffon and Alena Seredova
Svetlana Khorkina for Play Boy
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

China's growth contributes to global economy - UK experts

 

   
 

Tibet sees forty years of marked progress

 

   
 

New Orleans in anarchy with fights, rapes

 

   
 

Typhoon pounds Fujian, forcing evacuation

 

   
 

Foreign missile umbrella on Taiwan opposed

 

   
 

Sino-US textile talks stop at red light

 

   
  NBA seeks relocation for New Orleans Hornets
   
  Yao, Rockets pleased over long-term NBA deal
   
  Celtic have get-out clause in Du Wei deal
   
  China bags three gold medals out of five
   
  Finley spurns more money to join Spurs
   
  Owen ready to rekindle English passion
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement