Hirano shocks Ding, S'pore paddlers crash out

Singapore's paddlers Feng Tianwei and Gao Ning were eliminated from the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Wuxi, China, yesterday.

Feng lost 7-11, 2-11, 8-11 to China's Chen Meng in the quarter-finals, while Gao crashed out after losing 11-5, 9-11, 2-11, 10-12 to Japan's Koki Niwa in the Round of 16.

The shock result of the tournament was delivered by Japanese teenager Miu Hirano on her 17th birthday yesterday. The diminutive dynamo came back from two sets down to beat China's top-seeded Ding Ning.

After trailing 3-11, 12-14 in the first two sets, the 1.56m-tall Hirano rallied to win the next three 11-9, 16-14, 12-10 to set up a semi-final tie with China's Zhu Yuling. Chen Meng meets compatriot Liu Shiwen in the other semi-final. - SWETHA SUNDARARAJAN