Australia’s World No.1 Qian Yang Progresses To Semi Final 

Australia showed remarkable fight in six singles matches on Monday, including a five-game thriller from Milly Tapper, but only Qian Yang progressed to the next stage of her draw. 

Tapper, Australia’s only Olympic-Paralympic double representative, came back from 2-0 down and saved several match points, but fell agonisingly short in her quarter final clash (WS10) with Chinese Taipei’s Shiau Wen Tian to be beaten 3-2 (13-11, 15-13, 8-11, 12-14, 11-8). 

“The first two didn’t go my way, but they could have, and they could have totally changed things as well,” Tapper said. 

“I’m proud of the fight.” 

In the same classification as Tapper, fellow Australian Qian Yang showed great patience as she navigated a tough first game to beat Tzu Yu Lin 3-0. 

It’s the second time that Yang has beaten Lin in Paris, having met in the women’s doubles (WD20) gold medal match on Saturday night, when Australia defeated Chinese Taipei. 

Yang, who is World Table Tennis’s top ranked player in her class, will next meet Brazilian Bruna Alexandre in the semi final, where the winners will progress to the gold medal match, and both losers will pick up the bronze. 

In the other evening session, Hayley Sands, competing at her first Paralympic Games, put up resistance in the third game against Poland’s Dorota Buclaw but was beaten 3-0. 

“It was just an amazing game and I’m very proud of myself to get here,” Sands said.  

Earlier in the day, Trevor Hirth and Christopher Addis exited the competition with motivation to do better, after putting up a fight against much stronger opponents. 

“Just playing in front of the crowd and getting to play against the best in the world and knowing that everyone’s supporting me here and around Australia. It’s incredible,” Addis said. 

Despite a 3-0 loss, Jimmy Huo could not stop smiling having made his Paralympic debut in front of family and friends who had travelled from Australia, Hong Kong and the UK. 

“Table Tennis Australia gave me this opportunity, I’m really, really enjoying it, I’m so happy,” the 69-year-old said.

RESULTS 

Men’s Singles (MS5) R16: CHN CHAO Ningning def. AUS HUO Jimmy 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 

Men’s Singles (MS6) R16: ITA PARENZAN Matteo def. AUS HIRTH Trevor 11-7, 11-5, 11-2 

Men’s Singles (MS4) R16: THA CHAIWUT Wanchai def. AUS ADDIS Christopher 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 

Women’s Singles (WS10) QF: AUS YANG Qian def. TPE LIN Tzu Yu 12-10, 11-6, 11-1 

Women’s Singles (WS10) QF: TPE TIAN Shiau Wen def. AUS TAPPER Melissa 13-11, 15-13, 8-11, 12-14, 11-8. 

Women’s Singles (WS1-2) R16: POL BUCLAW Dorota def. AUS SANDS Hayley 11-3, 11-2, 11-7 

Watch the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on the 9Network and 9Now live and free, and on Stan Sport till September 8.

By: Laurie Lawira, Paralympics Australia

Published: 2 September 2024