Chen Meng and Wang Manyu upset top seeds to secure top prize

China’s Chen Meng and Wang Manyu, combining for the first time as a partnership on the international scene, emerged as the winners of the Women’s Doubles event at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open in Doha on the afternoon of Sunday 26th February.

Not seeded, they overcame the top seeded Korean combination of Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun (11-4, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6) to claim the top prize.

Consistency, staying close to the table, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu imposed their authority on proceedings from the very first point; intentions were made clear, there was a task to be completed and to be completed in a clinical fashion.

They secured the first game, the success settled nerves; gaining in confidence they won the first six points of the second; attacking play from the Koreans was absorbed, angles created and turned to advantage.

Two games to nil in arrears, the Korean duo mounted a recovery; they captured the third as Chen Meng and Wang Manyu made more errors than in the first two games put together.

Conversely Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun eradicated the errors of the first two games; however, it was to be only brief respite. In the fourth game, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu established a 5-2 lead; the Korean duo called “Time Out”, they levelled at 6-all but never held the advantage.