USA's Gao Jun Wins at Chinese Taipei ITTF Pro Tour
Sweeps Women's Singles & Doubles
Taiwan, TPE ∙ June 16-19, 2005

Gao Jun  became the first USA player ever to win men's or women's singles at an ITTF Pro Tour event, and the third ever to win men's or women's doubles, sweeping both women's singles and doubles at the Chinese Taipei ITTF Pro Tour this weekend.

In the final of women's singles, Gao, world #16, came back from down 0-2 in games to defeat world #8 Li Jia Wei of Singapore, -8,-6,5,16,11,9. Gao had recently defeated Li in the 16ths of the 2005 Worlds on her way to reaching the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Gao defeated her left-handed doubles partner, Shen Yanfei of Spain, 6,6,-5,-6,2,7. The event was dominated by pips-out players. Gao is a pips-out penholder, and both Li Jia Wei and Shen Yanfei are shakehanders with pips on the forehand. Gao's road to the Championship was as follows:

Final: Gao d. Li Jia Wei (SIN), -8,-6,5,16,11,9
SF: Gao d. Shen Yanfei (ESP), 6,6,-5,-6,2,7
QF: Gao d. Ai Fujinuma (JPN), 4,-10,14,11,-11,3
8ths: Gao d. Haruna Fukuoka (JPN), 3,6,9,5
16ths: Gao d. Yuka Shiosaki (JPN), 6,10,-8,8,10

In women's doubles, Gao and Shen Yanfei teamed for the first time and defeated Sun Bei Bei/Wang Yue Gu of Singapore, 7,10,6,-4,6. Their road to the Championship:

Final: Gao/Shen d. Sun Bei Bei/Wang Yue Gu (SIN), 7,10,6,-4,6:
SF: Gao/Shen d. Haruna Fukuoka/Hirano Sayaka (JPN), 5,-67,-4,11,6
QF: Gao/Shen d. Ai Fujinuma/Hiura Reiko (JPN), 1,-10,-5,5,10,7
8ths: Gao/Shen d. Lau Sui Fei/Song Ah Sim (HKG), 8,-9,8,-9,7,9.

The only other USA players ever to win men's or women's doubles at an ITTF Pro Tour event were Wang Chen, who teamed with Liu Jia of Austria to win women's doubles at the 2004 USA ITTF Pro Tour, and Cheng Yinghua, who teamed with Jean-Michel Saive to win men's doubles at the 1998 USA ITTF Pro Tour. Gao, 8-time USA women's Champion, and Cheng are the current USA women's and men's singles champions, and are the current and five-time USA Mixed Doubles Champions.

Gao's previous best ITTF Pro Tour performance had been making the final of women's doubles at the 2004 Korean ITTF Pro Tour, teamed with Germany's Elke Wosik-Schall. In singles, she has made the semifinals twice, and the quarterfinals five times. In other events, while playing for China, she was World Women's Doubles Champion in 1991 and World Team Champion in 1993, women's doubles silver medalist at the 1992 Olympics. She was also the 1994 U.S. Open Women's Singles Champion, but it was not a ITTF Pro Tour event at the time.

For complete results, photos and ITTF coverage of the Chinese Taipei ITTF Pro Tour, see the ITTF Pro Tour page.

Photo By: Jackie Lai

SHEN Yanfei who lost to GAO Jun in the semis of the Women's Singles

The second semi-final of the Women’s Singles event at the TMS Chinese Taipei Open on the morning of Sunday 19th June 2005 saw the players in action who are doubles partners, GAO Jun of the United States and YAN Shenfai of Spain; like the two players who had played in the first semi-final both were born in China but both now represent a different country.

GAO Jun was the player who made the better start; in typical style she controlled proceedings; outstanding over the table, close to the net, not allowing her opponent that chance to attack with any degree of fluency; she won the first game 11-6 and repeated the performance in the second game.

Attack Forehand
In the third game GAO Jun looked to flick the service of YAN Shenfai whenever possible, directing the stroke into the left hander’s backhand; serving she always served short and if the return was more than a millimetre too high then a fast forehand attacked wide to her opponent’s forehand ended matters in quick-fire style. SHEN Yanfei, to her credit remained resolute and clearly realised that playing early into the body of GAO Jun was not a shrewd move; blocking on the backhand GAO Jun was in control but if SHEN Yanfei pushed with backspin into her opponent’s body then attacked the forehand, success would come her way.

She did and won the game 11-5 to reduce the match arrears to one solitary game.

Winning the third game after losing the first two gave the Spanish player confidence and in the fourth game she continued her policy of attacking GAO Jun’s forehand; however, she had to be positive, otherwise GAO Jun would reply in kind with her forehand. SHEN Yanfei established a 7-5 lead, playing slowly with little spin to the backhand and more aggressively to the forehand of GAO Jun she extended the lead to 10-6 and at her first opportunity won the game to level the match.

Total Control
The fifth game saw GAO Jun play virtually every ball over the table, never giving her opponent time; she raced ahead 9-1 forcing errors from SHEN Yanfei who simply could not penetrate the blocking skills of the player who now represents the United States of America. GAO Jun won the games 11-2 to move within sight of a place in the final.

It was a much closer affair in the sixth game and by attacking fast to the forehand SHEN Yanfei forced GAO Jun back from the table but leading 6-5 she missed her service, it seemed to unnerve her, she lost the next two points and understandably called `Time Out’.

The break worked in favour of GAO Jun, she won the next four points and on her second match point secured victory 11-7 and for the first time in her illustrious career was in the final of a Women’s Singles event at an ITTF Pro Tour tournament.

GAO Jun (USA) bt SHEN Yanfei (ESP) 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-2, 11-7