Third-seeded Japanese Maharu Yoshimura prevented the Chinese monopoly of titles in the 17th Asian junior table tennis championship by claiming the junior boys' gold at the expense of Yin Hang at the Thyagaraj Indoor Complex here on Sunday.
China, which claimed all four team gold medals, before adding the junior girls, cadet boys' and girls' titles besides the two doubles' crowns, had to go through the disappointment of not retaining the junior boys' gold following a superb display by the lanky Japanese.
Yoshimura lived up to the tag of being the pre-match favourite against the sixth seeded Yin Hang by bouncing back from the loss of the close first set to win 13-15, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 11-13, 14-12 in under an hour.
The match witnessed long rallies but a series of unforced errors from both players impacted the quality of the match. But Yoshimura came out a worthy winner after converting his fifth match-point.
It was a fine reward for the hard-working Yoshimura who finished on the losing side in the doubles final earlier in the day.
In the singles semifinals, Yoshimura knocked out second seed Wu Jiaji after Yin Hang toppled favourite and World number two Lin Gaoyuan. Incidentally, Gaoyuan and Jiaji had the consolation of winning the doubles gold.
The girls' final, like the cadet boys and girls finals, was an-all Chinese affair with World junior champion and top seed Zhu Yuling claiming the title following a hard-fought 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 triumph over compatriot and third seed Zhao Yan.
Zhu Yuling, last year's runner-up, earlier claimed the doubles title in the company of Gu Yuting after stopping compatriots Zhao Yan and Gu Ruochen.
Bronze for Abhishek
In the cadet boys section, Abhishek Yadav, the lone non-Chinese in the semifinals, battled hard before surrendering to Zhao Kai, the eventual runner-up to Zhou Qihao. Yadav had ensured a bronze late on Saturday night by upstaging top seeded Korean Lim Jonghoon 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.
The place in the semifinal also ensured Yadav's entry into the ITTF Global Cadet Challenge competition.
The results: Junior boys: Final: Maharu Yoshimura (Jpn) bt Yin Hang (Chn) 13-15, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 11-13, 14-12. Semifinals: Yin Hang bt Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) 7-1, 12-10, 11-8, 15-13, 5-11, 11-5; Yoshimura bt Wu Jiaji (Chn) 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5.
Junior girls: Final: Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Zhao Yan (Chn) 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9. Semifinals: Zhu bt Ayuka Tanioka (Jpn) 11-7, 11-3, 11-3, 12-14, 11-3; Zhao bt Gu Yuting (Chn) 6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
Junior boys' doubles: Final: Lin Gaoyuan and Wu Jiaji (Chn) bt Maharu Yoshimura and Asuka Sakai (Jpn) 11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6.
Junior girls' doubles: Final: Gu Yuting and Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Zhao Yan and Gu Ruochen (Chn) 11-7, 11-8, 11-3.
Cadet boys: Final: Zhou Qihao (Chn) bt Zhou Kai (Chn) 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 12-10. Semifinals: Zhou Kai bt Abhishek Yadav (Ind) 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 12-10; Zhou Qihao bt Yu Ziyang (Chn) 8-11, 12-14, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6.
Cadet girls: Final: Liu Gaoyang (Chn) bt Zhu Chaohui (Chn) 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 12-10. Semifinals: Zhu bt Doo Hoi Kem (Hkg) 11-9, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6; Liu bt Kim Jisun (Kor) 11-8, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-4.
