World Table Tennis Championships: coach says Hong Kong pair are underdogs in semi-finals
Mixed doubles No 3 seeds Doo Hoi-kem and Wong Chun-ting take on Japanese duo who knocked out China’s No 1 seeds
Hong Kong head coach Li Ching said the city’s mixed doubles pair of Doo Hoi-kem and Wong Chun-ting would come out as underdogs for their semi-final at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar on Friday.
The Hong Kong pair will chase the city’s best mixed doubles finish when they play Satsuki Odo and Maharu Yoshimura of Japan for a spot in the final. They are already guaranteed at least a bronze medal to add to their three previous global bronzes as a duo, in 2015, 2017 and 2023, which account for half of Hong Kong’s mixed doubles medals, all bronzes.
But Li said he viewed their opponents as favourites despite the Hongkongers’ better head-to-head record.
“It wasn’t surprising that they have made it this far, but it wasn’t assumed either,” said Li, who won a bronze medal at the worlds alongside Ko Lai-chak in 2007. “I have to praise their fighting spirit and their determination.
“They gave absolutely everything and probably just have half a life left because of the arrangement of the fixtures. You’ve seen how the players have had to travel between two arenas for their matches and let’s not forget Wong is 33 years old already.”
Matches are being played at Lusail Sports Arena and Qatar University Sports Complex, which are 15km apart.
Li also said it was an “unexpectedly smooth” win over Maria Xiao and Alvaro Robles, with the No 3 seeds from Hong Kong breezing past the Spaniards 11-1, 11-5, 11-7 in just over 19 minutes on Wednesday.