The conclusion of rounds three and four of the table tennis competition at Sydney Olympic Park on Day 2 of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival have revealed that the tournament is likely to heat up over the coming days.
Despite capturing an early advantage in the competition leader-board, top seeds and tournament favourites Chinese Taipei, China and Hong Kong are by no means enjoying comfortable victories and are expected to be seriously challenged by Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand throughout the rest of the tournament.
The Australian men’s team enjoyed early success against Oceania in the third round. Captain Kyle Davis cruised to an easy 3-0 victory against Yoshua Shing; whilst Robert Frank’s backhand accuracy and powerful forehand proved too much for his opponent Alize Belrose, beaten in straight sets.
The duo displayed exceptional skill and teamwork in the doubles, taking the match in three sets. The good form continued into round four, where the men achieved a straight-sets victory against New Caledonia.
Davis employed a superior serve against opponent Maxime Bataillard to take the match 3-0; whilst Frank’s consistent and accurate ground strokes paid off against Vincent Dey, whom he beat 3-0.
The Aussie pair won the doubles match in straight sets. ‘We’re settling into a good rhythm now,’ said Frank. ‘We’re all getting used to the conditions. Watching everyone else play definitely makes you feel more confident. I think we’re going to do well tomorrow.’
The Australian girls played a close match against China in round three, but were ultimately unable to break the top-ranked team. Melissa Tapper executed a few good shots against opponent Chen Xi Shi, including a remarkably angled cross-court backhand return on Shi’s serve, but went down in straight sets.
Team-mate Cassandra Ng and opponent Meng Chen entertained the crowd with minute-long rallies, with Ng beaten 3-0. Despite the loud and extremely enthusiastic crowd, the girls lost the doubles match in straight sets.
The streak continued into round four as the Australian girls took on second seeded Hong Kong. Tapper, using a potent combination of power and spin, gave the second seed and world No. 78 Ho Ching Lee a run for her money, but was unable to secure the match, losing in straight sets.
Cassandra Ng also played a tough match against world No. 154 Wing Nam Ng. Despite well-placed serving and quick returns, Cassandra went down 3-0. The girls lost the doubles match in straight sets.
‘We had our toughest matches today,’ reflected Tapper. ‘We played the two hardest teams. We should be ready and refreshed for an easier day tomorrow. It’s disappointing to lose, but it just makes us more determined.’
Bridget Jenkins
AYOF
