Guo Yue, the future of Chinese women’s table tennis

Guo Yue is currently ranked number four in the World Women’s Table Tennis rankings by the ITTF. From October 2005 to September 2006, Guo Yue held the second position but had slipped back a little after that. However, she had been within the top ten for the last 4 years. Guo Yue was born in Liaoning, China on July 17, 1988. She is considered as one of the future of Chinese women’s table tennis. She plays left-handed like her compatriots Wang Nan, Chang Chenchen and Li Jia, all of them hailing from Liaoning. Guo Yue won her first ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles title in 2003 in Kobe, Japan. Again, she won the title in 2005 in Harbin, China and in Velenje, Slovenia. In 2007, she had already won that title 3 times, first in Zagreb, Croatia, then in Velenje, Slovenia, and finally in Salwa Cup, Kuwait.

At the ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals for Women’s Singles, she was the runner-up in 2002 and was the titleholder in 2004. At the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, she won the bronze medal in the women’s doubles event in table tennis.

In February 2007, Guo Yue won her third ITTF Pro Tour women’s singles title at the Salwa Cup Kuwait Open. In the finals, she was facing world number two Wang Nan, after having overcome world number one Zhang Yining in the semifinals. Guo Yue and Wang Nan had played each other eleven times before. Guo Yue had triumphed six times, while Wang Nan had been the winner five times. In the first game, both of them matched their skills, without giving an inch away till 9-all, when Guo Yue went ahead at 10-9. However, Wang Nan countered with here topspin strokes and took the first game 13-11. In the second game, Guo Yue went ahead 6-3 but Wang Nan narrowed the lead to 6-5. Guo Yue again surged forward to 9-6 and won the game 11-7.

The third game saw Guo Yue dominating again, leading 3-1, then 8-4, 9-5, and 10-6. Wang Nan saved the first game point but failed in the second. Guo Yue won the game 11-7. In the fourth game, Wang Nan led 3-1 but Guo Yue leveled at 4-all. Both of them were making errors and they went to 9-all. Then the fight continued till Wang Nan held 4 game points but lost them. Finally, Guo Yue won the game 20-18. In the fifth game, Guo Yue grew in confidence and led 6-1 and 8-2, before winning the game 11-3. She had taken the ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Singles crown for the third time in 2007.

Earlier in January 2007, in the Croatian Open in Zagreb, Croatia, Guo Yue defeated Wang Nan in the finals in a 7-game thriller for her fourth singles ITTF Pro Tour title in her career. Guo Yue won the first 2 games 11-6 and 11-9. Wang Nan fought back to take the third game 11-2. Guo Yue again dominated to win the next 2 games 11-3 and 11-7. Wang Nan did not give up and won the sixth game 11-8. However, Guo Yue kept her cool and took the seventh game 11-4. Indeed, Guo Yue is one of the brightest future prospects of the formidable Chinese table tennis team, considering that she is only 19 years old now.