Youth Olympic Table Tennis: Singapore’s Isabelle Li clinches silver, going down 0-4 to Gu Yuting of China in final

Story by Leslie Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Tan Jon Han/Red Sports

Singapore Indoor Stadium, Monday, August 23, 2010 — Singapore’s Isabelle Li went down 0-4 (8-11, 5-11, 8-11, 9-11) to Gu Yuting of China in the gold medal match of the Youth Olympic Games table tennis competition.

Isabelle had beaten Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut this morning in the semi-final to set up a 6.30pm final date with Yuting.

Isabelle, ranked 207th in the world and turning 16 on August 28th, put together a 6-2 win-loss record before today’s final. The two matches she lost were against Ayuka Tanioka of Japan and Yang Ha Eun of South Korea.

Yuting, 15, ranked 68th in the word, did not have smooth path to the gold medal as well. She lost 2-3 to Kim Song I of North Korea. She faced Song I again in the quarter-final stage and had to go to seven sets before eventually winning 4-3 in their second meeting at these Games.

Against Yuting, Isabelle continued to rely on her primarily defensive style of play as she played a patient game of chopping. Isabelle matched her superior Chinese opponent point for point until 8-8 before yielding the first set 8-11.

In the second set, Isabelle closed the points up to 4-4 before Yuting ran away to a 9-5 lead. Yuting then won the second set 11-5.

The third set got the home crowd going. Despite a yellow card from the umpire because of running overtime during the break, Isabelle came out to establish a 4-1 lead. An amazing rally at 5-2 saw Isabelle hold off smash after smash before she faltered. Yuting soon tied it up 5-5 but Isabelle managed to get back a two-point lead at 7-5.

However, her Chinese opponent put together a four-point scoring streak to lead 9-5. Trailing 8-9, Isabelle, usually on the defensive, came alive offensively but Yuting was able to hold her off to win the point and eventually the set 11-8.

The start of the fourth set saw both sides get another card each, with the Chinese flashed a yellow while Isabelle got a red. A 3-0 Isabelle lead got the crowd excited again even though the home crowd favourite was down 0-3 overall. The 3-0 lead soon became 5-2 but Yuting came right back to tie it up 5-5.

Another rare Isabelle offensive smash reestablished a two-point cushion at 7-5 but then it fall apart after that. Isabelle committed five straight errors and she was soon trailing 7-10.

Isabelle saved two match points to get to 9-10 but another error yielded the set and match to Yuting.

The home crowd still reacted with encouragement for our local girl and cheered when Isabelle said to them, “I’m very happy with my performance. I would like to thank the crowd for their support. I’m looking forward to the 2016 Olympic Games.”

In the stands cheering her on were 16 members of her immediate and extended family. Her parents, sister, grandparents and a host of uncles, aunties and cousins came to witness her in action.

“I’m very proud of her for her fighting spirit,” said Christabelle Li, her older sister.

“I feel very happy. She has been training very hard,” said Isabelle’s 71-year-old grandfather, Mr Lee Sun Tee.

Isabelle’s run to the final had attracted the attention of people who do not know her personally but decided to come down to support her in her final game. Daphne Low was one such person in the near-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium crowd waving the national flag. Daphne, who had never heard of Isabelle until today, said: “I’m surprised and proud that we have such a homegrown player.”

It is safe to say that from today, many more people will know more about Isabelle Li Siyun, a 15-year-old who has made her country proud.