The Romanian player Bernadette Szocs was badly defeated by the Chinese Manyu Wang, the second favorite and world number two, with 4-3 (11-6, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 7-11, 10-12, 11-4), on Saturday, in the semifinals of the Table Tennis Champions Tournament (WTT Finals), which takes place in Kitakyushu (Japan).
The CSA-licensed player Steaua, ranked 17th in the world, was leading 3-0 in the sets, but managed a spectacular comeback and restored the tie, 3-3, but Wang won the deciding set, securing victory after almost a playing time (59 min).
Szocs thus remains with the bronze medal, in his second consecutive participation in the Tournament of Champions, which came after the Olympic champion Meng Cheng declared forfeit.
Bernadette Szocs, who last year lost in the round of 16, this year managed to eliminate two better ranked Japanese women, in the round of 16 Hina Hayata, world number five, with a score of 3-1 (12-10, 11-7, 6- 11, 11-6), and in the quarters against Satsuki Odo (world number 8), with 3-0 (14-12, 11-3, 11-5).
In the final, Manyu Wang will face compatriot Xingtong Chen, victorious 4-0 in the semifinal against another Chinese woman, Yidi Wang (third favorite).
The Tournament of Champions, which ends the competitive season, brings together in Kitakyushu the best 16 singles players, for women and men, together with the best eight teams, for men and women. Europe had only two women’s singles representatives at the start, Austrian Sofia Polcanova (world number 14) and Bernadette Szocs.
Source: www.cotidianul.ro
