Amy Wang & Lily Zhang Secure 2nd and 4th at ITTF Pan Am Cup
by Barbara Wei
Amy Wang and Lily Zhang achieved success at the ITTF Pan Am Cup, clinching the 2nd and 4th positions, respectively.
The ITTF Pan Am Cup, held in Corpus Christi, TX, brought together the top 16 players of each gender from the Pan American region. As the #3 and #4 seeds, Amy Wang and Lily Zhang's performances impressed on home court.
On the third day, and final day competition, Amy and Lily faced old foes in their semifinal matches. Amy took on Mo Zhang (CAN), who had beaten the number one seed Adriana Diaz (PUR) in the previous round. Undeterred, Amy made quick work of the Canadian in 4 straight games and booked her ticket to the final.
On the other side, Lily faced her Pan Am nemesis, Bruna Takahashi (BRA). The two have met multiple times in the last year at continental events, with Bruna having the winning record. With similar styles and an affinity for fast paced rallies, the two pushed the match to the full distance. Lily took a commanding lead 3-1 in games, but Bruna’s end game proved resilient, and she came back to win the next three games 11-9, 11-9, and 11-8 for a 4-3 win and a place in the final.
Bruna again proved her end-game might in the final against Amy. The seesaw match went the full distance with Bruna squeaking by to win 11-9 in the 7th. By making the final, both Bruna and Amy have secured an invitation to the ITTF World Cup in Macao, China this coming April.
Final positions for the ITTF Pan Am Cup – Women:
1. Bruna Takahashi (BRA)
2. Amy Wang (USA)
3. Mo Zhang (CAN)
4. Lily Zhang (USA)