World can't afford China's table tennis gift

YOKOHAMA, Japan, May 2 -- China took all its top players off the mixed doubles list, deliberately making the event the most open one in the world table tennis championships.

The pingpong superpower, which has promised the International Table Tennis Federation to help the rest of the world to catch up, sent young players to the mixed doubles competition, offering a chance to medal-hungry teams.

Theoretically, Chinese are not the strongest in the event, with Hao Shuai and Chang Chenchen being top-seeded Chinese who stand at fifth.

The reality was that Chinese swept all the semifinal berths on Saturday morning.

Hao and Chang edged out No. 1 seeded Hong Kong pair Ko Lai Chakand Tie Yana 11-6, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, joining Zhang Jike/Mu Zi, Li Ping/Cao Zhen and Zhang Chao/Yao Yan in the last four.

The semifinal winners Saturday evening were Zhang/Mu and Li /Cao.

"It's boring," said Xu Yinsheng, China's former IITF president. "I love to see Chinese vs non-Chinese game."

Wang Liqin and Guo Yue, twice mixed doubles winners, skipped the event. So did Wang Hao and Zhang Yining, seeded first in the men's and women's singles respectively.

Gennaro Bozza, a veteran reporter with the Italian newspaper LaGazzetta dello Sport, told Chinese newspapers earlier this week that he believed China wanted to send out the mixed doubles as a gift.

"I don't think any other teams can afford China's gift," said Yao Zhenxu, a vice chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, on Saturday.

"It isn't a free gift. You have to work hard to get it. Chinese youngsters have proved that they are just too strong for their rivals," he added.

As young Chinese easily swept the mixed doubles, their more famed teammates struggled.

Olympic champion Ma Lin was stretched to seven sets by Japanese teenager Kenta Matsudaira, whose squatting-serve and third-ball attack caused a lot of trouble to the world No. 2 ranked Chinese.

Ma, whose resume only lacks a world singles crown, was 1-4 down in the deciding set before he leveled 7-7.

Ma jumped to 10-7 following his two topspin kills and a missed backhand return by Matsudaira. The pencil-thin Japanese saved two match points before Ma nailed it with a point-blank shot.

China's Wang Liqin, seeking his fourth world singles title, struggled with his form as he outlasted Hong Kong player Tang Peng in six sets.

Chinese Wang Hao, Ma Long and Chen Qi also reached the men's singles quarterfinals.

In the women's singles action, Chinese snapped up four quarterfinal spots.

Guo Yue survived a seven-set battle against Hong Kong star Jiang Huajun, while Zhang Yining, Liu Shiwen and Li Xiaoxia triumphed convincingly.