Table tennis: Chunli chases gold double

By MARK GEENTY

New Zealand whiz Li Chunli is eyeing dual gold medals after her skills guaranteed the women's team at least a bronze medal yesterday.

Chinese-born Chunli, who settled in New Zealand in 1984, stretched her winning streak at the Games to eight as she helped her team to topple England 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

The win set up a semifinal clash with the imposing Singapore team for a place in the gold-medal match.

Win or lose, the team of Chunli, sister Karen Li, Tracey McLauchlan and Laura Lee-Smith will collect New Zealand's first Games table tennis medal.

They overshadowed the men's line-up, who crashed out after booking a quarter-final clash with Singapore when they beat the Maldives 3-0 in pool play.

Peter Jackson, Shane Laugesen and Andrew Hubbard all had straight-sets victories.

But they were no match for Singapore in the final eight, losing 3-0 and winning only two sets.

Hubbard and Peter Jackson lost in four sets, while Aaron Li, who replaced Laugesen, lost in straight sets.

Chunli, aged 40 but playing as well as ever, said she was capable of winning gold in the teams and individual events, but it would be a tough task to do the double.

She said she was improving all the time, having spent this year playing in the men's professional league in Kyoto, Japan.

"If we beat Singapore we can win gold, but it will be very difficult," Chunli said. "I hope to win both of the golds. I'll be trying."

Singapore have two players ranked in the world's top 20, including Li Jia Wei, who beat Chunli in the singles final at the Commonwealth championships last year.

- NZPA

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

Medal table

Commonwealth Games info and related links