By Jeremiah Ong
With the team event all wrapped up on 26 Sep (Tuesday), Singapore’s paddlers were fully focused on their next assignment in the singles and doubles events.
A busy day of back-to-back table tennis action awaited the team on Thursday (Sep 28) at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park and they quickly rose to the challenge, starting with a come-from-behind win by mixed doubles pair Clarence Chew and Zeng Jian.
After going down 0-2 to Indian opponents in the round-of-16 match, the pair rallied back in style, snatching three sets on the trot in 30 minutes to complete their comeback.
However, their fairytale run would end in the next round against World no. 3 Korean pair Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin where they fought bravely but were dispatched 0-3 (4-11, 3-11, 5-11).
Chew said: “We knew it was an uphill battle as they are one of the top pairs in the world and it was quite evident that their shot quality in all areas of the game was superior compared to us and they managed to target our weaknesses effectively which caused us many problems.”
Returning to the Asiad after nine years, Chew was happy to be in Hangzhou despite the defeat.
“It has definitely been one of the major sporting events that I've always looked forward to and it’s really a great experience being here again. Hangzhou has been a great host so I've really enjoyed the atmosphere both when competing and being in the athlete’s village,” he said.
“Of course, a lot has changed since and the team is very different now but the excitement and desire of competing at the Asian Games and wanting to do well still remains the same.”
Singapore’s other mixed doubles pair of Koen Pang and Wong Xin Ru faced a similar fate, going up against China’s seventh-seeds Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Yidi.
They started strong with a 12-10 first-set win but let slip their lead to go 1-2 down. They pulled one set back and were deadlocked at 7-7 late into the deciding fifth, however, they could not close out the win and lost 3-2.
Despite the result, Wong was proud of the fight they showed.
“I performed much better than expected for my mixed doubles against the strong Chinese pair. Together with Koen (Pang) we both fought hard till the last point and played (to) our best standards even though we lost,” Wong said.
“I was more aggressive with my attacks and defence and tried to increase the quality of my shots instead of just thinking about putting the ball on the table first. However, I have to work on the consistency of my shots while increasing quality and aggression.”
Just one hour after her first match, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Zeng returned to the table and showed off her prowess, quickly dispatching Vietnamese opponent Nguyen Thi Nga 4-0 in 25 minutes to progress to the last-16 in the women’s singles.
Team Singapore’s other representative in the event was debutant Zhou Jingyi. The SEA Games medallist was also keen to underline her credentials with a fuss-free 4-1 win over Kazakhstani opponent Sarvinoz Mirkadirova.
In the men’s doubles round-of-32 matchup, the pair of Pang and 2023 SEA Games triple-gold medallist Izaac Quek made light work of their opponents with a convincing 3-0 win over Bahrain’s Salman Mohamed Abuhamda and Sayed Murtadha Husain Ali Mahfoodh.
However, compatriots Chew and Beh Kun Ting could not replicate their success, falling 3-1 to Japanese foes Taisei Matsushita and Mizuki Oikawa.
The pair got off to a slow start, trailing 0-5 in the first set which their opponent eventually took 11-5. The second set was a tighter affair with the pair deuced at 10-10 but Chew and Beh failed to capitalise.
With their backs against the wall, the Singaporean pair charged to a 9-2 lead in the third set, but almost let their opponents back in as they fought back to 9-9. Despite taking the third set 11-9, they fell 5-11 in the fourth and were eliminated.
Chew and Beh could not join compatriots Quek and Pang in the men’s doubles last 16. (Photo: SNOC/ Kong Chong Yew)
Beh said: “I did well in my receiving of service which I have always struggled with in the past but I'm still lacking in terms of keeping up with the quick tempo when it comes to rallies and could not hit the ideal angle to make my opponent uncomfortable.”
The 22-year-old, who is awaiting enlistment, hopes to improve his game after rubbing shoulders with the continent’s best at these Games.
“From what I have observed from these world-class players, I will make slight changes and improvements to my playing styles and skill sets specifically during training and will put them to good use during competition,” he said.
Over in the same stage of the women’s doubles, debutant pair Goi Rui Xuan and Ser Lin Qian lacked nothing in effort but were ousted by Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Huang Yi-Hua as they fell 0-3 (8-11, 8-11, 2-11).
Teammate Wong and Zhou were pitted against Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki and recently-crowned women’s team silver medallist Miu Hirano but suffered the same fate of a 0-3 loss (3-11, 5-11, 6-11).
Women’s doubles pair Ser and Goi fell to Chinese Taipei opponents in the round of 32. (Photo: SNOC/ Kong Chong Yew)
On her debut, Ser said: “Since it was my first match in a major Games, I was both excited and anxious. However, I needed to contain all these feelings and focus on how and what to play on the court.”
Describing the atmosphere in the competition hall as fiery, Ser ensured she was equally aggressive in her plays.
“One thing that I did well was that I had the intention to try to attack as much as I could but I made many mistakes, so I have to train more to improve the accuracy of my attacks,” she said.
The representatives in the men’s singles, Pang and Quek, were eager to follow in the footsteps of their female counterparts, Zeng and Zhou, who had earned last-16 berths in the morning session.
Pang blew away Bahrain’s Rashed Khaled Rashed Rashed 4-0 to progress but Quek struggled to do the same against wily Iranian foe Seyedamirhossein Hodaei, losing 2-4 in a marathon match full of mind games.
Pang will play Korean Jang Woojin for a place in the last eight tomorrow (Sep 29).
The 19th Asian Games are held in Hangzhou, China from 23 September to 8 October 2023. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.