AYG Table Tennis: Clarence Chew and Isabelle Li qualify for mixed doubles quarter-finals

Story by Chan Hui Mui/Red Sports. Pictures by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

Toa Payoh Sports Hall, Friday, July 3, 2009 - Singapore's top mixed doubles pair of Isabelle Li and Clarence Chew stormed into the quarter-finals of the Asian Youth Games table tennis mixed doubles competition after defeating the pairs from Mongolia and Korea in the first 2 rounds.

In the first round, Isabelle and Clarence swept aside Mongolia's pair of Samdan Baasankuu and Chinbat Saruulsaikan in just 10 minutes with scores of 11-4, 11-1, 11-2. The Mongolian pair had too many unforced errors, while their Singaporean opponents delivered every ball carefully to finish the game off quickly.

Then in the round of 16, the Singaporean pair overcame a first-set defeat to eliminate Korea's duo of Jang Woo Jin and Lee Da Som 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

Isabelle and Clarence did not have a good start to the tie despite earning the first point of the set, as the Koreans scored three straight points and led 8-5 soon after. Isabelle and Clarence managed to draw level at 8-apiece, but the latter failed to return two smashes from the Koreans, allowing them to regain the lead and eventually win the set 11-9.

Singapore turned the tables on the Koreans in the second set and claimed it 11-9. The lead was exchanged several times, but Clarence’s smashes proved decisive.

The Korean pair started strongly in the third set, scoring 5 straight points to lead 5-1. But Singapore scored the next, and went on their own run to draw level 7-7 as their opponents started to make mistakes. Singapore continue to dominate the game and eventually wrapped the set up 11-7, and went on to claim the match with a 11-8 win in the fourth set.

Isabelle and Clarence will be taking on Japan's mixed doubles representatives Asuka Machi and Rika Suzuki in Saturday's quarter-final.

Singapore’s table tennis coach, Xu Xiang Dong commented that there is 50% chance of winning the game tomorrow.

Despite admitting that their upcoming opponents would pose a tough challenge, Clarence maintained that he was confident that they will make it to the final. He let out that they beat the Japanese duo in a practice match 3-0 just before the AYG.

Singapore's other mixed doubles representatives Tay Jit Kiat and Chau Hai Qing failed to hold off the Vietnamese pair of Le Tuan Anh and Nguyen Thi Viet Linh, going down 3 sets to 1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 12-10) in the first round as their AYG mixed doubles campaign came to an early end.