The Yokohama worlds' runner-up Guo Yue led the whole squad of China through into the semifinals at the 2009 women's table tennis World Cup here on Sunday. Guo Yue continued her unbeaten group stage performance by beating Austria's Liu Jia 11-9, 11-9, 8-11,9-11, 11-3, 11-7 in the first match of quarterfinals.
Guo Yue of China reacts during the quarter-final match against Liu Jia of Austria at the 2009 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 11, 2009. Guo won 4-2
Guo started well after winning the first two sets with the same score 11-9. Liu fought back in the next two sets and evened to 2-2. Guo, the world No. 2, didn't get stunned by Liu's performance and dominated the fifth. In the sixth set, Guo won four straight points after 3-3. Liu then called a time break, which proven to betoo late. "I prepared well for this encounter and Liu didn't put too much pressure on me at the beginning, but she suddenly changed from backspin to topspin, I didn't adapt to it immediately." said Guo.
Guo will next face Singapore's Feng Tianwei in the semifinals, who ousted South Korea's Park Mi Young 11-2, 5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4 to become the sole non-Chinese semifinalist.
Chinese talented teenage Liu Shiwen didn't break a sweat as she disposed of South Korea's KimKyung Ah 11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3 in the quarterfinals.
Liu Shiwen of China returns the ball during the quarter-final match against Kim Kyung-ah of South Korea at the 2009 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 11, 2009. Liu won 4-0
Liu, who suffered a tight match against South Korea's chopper Park Mi Young earlier, felt eased after won the quarterfinals against another chopper from South Korea, Kim Kyung Ah. "It's my second match against chopper today. I think I have a better performance in the latter." said Liu, who makes her debut at World Cup.
Defending champion Li Xiaoxia, who had been struggling with her form after losing the third group-stage match to Japan's Fukuhara Ai, defeated Li Jiao from the Netherlands 11-5, 4-11, 11-2, 11-4, 13-11. She will encounter Liu in the coming semifinals.
Li Xiaoxia of China returns the ball during the quarter-final match against Li Jiao of the Netherlands at the 2009 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 11, 2009. Li Xiaoxia won 4-1
2009 women's table tennis World Cup, marked as one of the table tennis "grand slam" events, have attracted 19 players from 13 countries and regions.