Gap Evident as Singapore Continues Unbeaten Run in Russian Capital

The gap between Asia and Europe in the world of female table tennis was once again there for all to see in the matches completed in the women’s event at the Liebherr World Team Championships in Moscow on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th May 2012.

In the contest between the hitherto unbeaten outfits in Group B, it was Singapore who prevailed against Germany.

The trio of Feng Tianwei, Wang Yue Gu and Sun Bei Bei posted a three-nil victory over the German team of Kristin Silbereisen, Wu Jiaduo and Sabina Winter.

<font color="800000"><b>Joint Third Place</font></b>

Singapore occupy top place with one series of matches still to be played with the Netherlands and Spain in joint third placed followed by the Czech Republic and the U.S.A.

Spain overcame the Czech Republic by three matches to one with Shen Yanfei defeating Dana Hadacova, Galia Dvorak accounting for Martina Smistikova and Zhu Fang also overcoming Dana Hadacova.

The one success for the Czech Republic came in the first match of the contest with Iveta Vacenovska defeating Zhu Fang.

<font color="800000"><b>Young Team</font></b>

A second victory of the tournament for Spain but no such good news for the United States; fielding the teenage team of Lily Zhang, Ariel Hsing and Erica Wu, they were beaten three-nil by the experienced Netherlands outfit of Li Jiao, Li Jie and Elena Timina.

Top place for Singapore in Group B and at the end of the fourth day of play, China occupied the same position in Group A where all three matches finished in three-nil results.

<font color="800000"><b>Results</font></b>

China’s Li Xiaoxia, Ding Ning and Guo Yan defeated Austria’s Martina Petzner, Li Qiangbing and Sarah Kanz; similarly Poland’s Xu Jie, Li Qian and Nicola Partyka proved too strong for England’s Kelly Sibley, Joanna Parker and Katerina Lefevre whilst Croatia’s Tamara Boros, Cornelia Vaida and Andrea Bakulawere in no mood for charity.

They dominated matters against Italy’s Nikoleta Stefanova, Wenling Tan Monfradini and Debora Vivarelli.

<font color="800000"><b>Positions</font></b>

Poland occupies second place behind China followed Italy and Croatia level in third place with England fifth and Austria in sixth spot.