http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/olympics-singapore-miss/3049086.html
Olympics: Singapore miss out on bronze in women’s team table tennis
Posted 17 Aug 2016 00:30 Updated 17 Aug 2016 01:33
The crowd at the women's table tennis team bronze medal match. (Photo: Jack Board)
RIO DE JANEIRO: Singapore could not retain their Olympic table tennis bronze medal in the women’s team event on Tuesday (Aug 16) after a 3-1 defeat to Japan in the battle for third place.
Japanese prodigy Mima Ito, who is just 15 years old, delivered the stunning final blow to the 2012 bronze medallists, who ended the competition in Rio without a medal this time.
Their trio of Ito, Ai Fukuhara and Kasumi Ishikawa were composed, aggressive and stood up to Singapore’s experience in a stadium that richly and vocally supported them.
Team Singapore started brightly in the opening singles, as Yu Mengyu faced off against world number eight Ai Fukuhara.
26-year-old Yu showed no signs of listlessness which plagued her game in Singapore’s loss against China in the semi-finals, as she took the first singles match to Fukuhara and beat her 3-2.
Singapore’s Feng Tianwei however, could not continue the momentum against the left-handed Kasumi Ishikawa, dropping the second singles match 12-10, 11-6, 11-7.
The action intensified in the third match, which saw Singapore’s Zhou Yihan and Yu Mengyu pair up in the doubles against their Japanese counterparts Mima Ito and Ai Fukuhara.
Zhou and Yu showed genuine joy and frustration as they battled to a four-game loss, with the composure of Ito, ranked ninth in the world, proving the difference at key junctures. The fourth game stretched on, each point fought hard over, with Japan eventually able to convert and take the crucial match 14-12.
It was then left to Feng to try and salvage any hopes for a medal, but she was unable to match it with Ito, who jumped in the air with delight as she sealed the fourth and decisive match 11-9, 11-4, 11-6.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia after the hard-fought match, Yu said she felt Team Singapore's paddlers did their best and have "no regrets".
"Going into the first match, I think I'd prepared adequately and gave everything (leading to my win). My teammates' performance was not bad as well," she said.
Looking visibly disappointed, Feng said she took personal responsibility for losing the bronze medal match on Tuesday. "After losing two matches, I think this defeat is on me," she said.
Feng added that the crowd of Japanese supporters present was a "little overwhelming", but also admitted that she had "some issue