Harmony Cup Results

Results from Day 1 of Harmony Cup in Vancouver

Group A

• Jiang Tianyi 3-0
• Ma Wenge 2-1
• Xiao Han 1-2
• Nison Aronov 0-3

Group B

• Tang Peng 3-0
• Lin Zhigang 2-1
• Pradeeban Peter-Paul 1-2
• Lee Sang Mook 0-3

Impressions:

Ma Wenge (World #34) - At 38 he still looks like he's in good shape.  Consistent from both wings.  The lobbing match against Aronov was probably a reason for his loss to Jiang in the next match.

Jiang Tianyi (World #95) - Lefty shakehander with lots of power from both wings, had nothing to lose against Ma and played all points with power and precision.  Not to mention he's only 18 years old.

Xiao Han (Canada #3) - Lefty penholder with a big forehand.  Currently ranked #3 in Canada but can't hold his own against the big boys.  Played some spectacular points against Ma and Jiang but couldn't pull off the upsets.

Nison Aronov (2467 US) - Took Adam Hugh's spot here.  Realized he was overmatched in all matches from the beginning and every match turned into a lobbing exhibition.  A few points of lobbing is fine, but entire matches of lobbing???  Obviously the crowd wasn't happy.

Lin Zhigang (World #119) - Lefty shakehand had good control and variation on all his shots.  Awesome sidespin inside out forehand.  Didn't have as much power as the other players but the angles he creates with his loops were amazing.

Tang Peng (World #55) - Shakehander with short pips on the backhand.  At times it seemed like he was smashing through the net as his pip shots were so low and fast.  Anything short to his backhand was killed immediately.

Pradeeban Peter-Paul (Canada #6) - Took Wang Zhen's place here since Wang Zhen could not get out of China.  Funky serves and fishing capabilities kept every match close.  Lost 3-2 to Tang Peng in a well fought match.

Lee Sang Mook - Still looks rusty at times but keeps getting better every tournament.  Made a run in all his matches, including a 3-2 loss to Peter-Paul.  Plays some points at 3500 level and some at 2500 level due to inconsistency.  But with practice he should probably be a solid top 10 player in Canada.

Overall, the spectators were treated to a pretty good show of table tennis.  Tonight's matches are:

Semi finals and Finals (Tang Peng vs Ma Wenge, Jiang Tianyi vs Lin Zhigang)

5-6 Place (Xiao Han vs Pradeeban Peter-Paul)

7-8 Place (Lee Sang Mook vs Nison Aronov)