Russia beaten in table tennis

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 18

Russia beaten in table tennis

CN Z.P.A.-Render—Copyright) NAGOYA (Japan).? England scored a stunning upset in the women’s team competition of the world table tennis championships yesterday, defeating the reigning world champion, the Soviet Union.

The English girls, seeded ninth, won 3-2 after the Russians fought back from 0-2 to level the scores.

The result in the roundrobin second stage of the competition. will put considerable pressure on the Russians to retain the title they won in Munich two years: ago. The defending champion, Japan, and Communist China yesterday led 12' teams in advancing to the semi-final round of men’s team play in the championships. The Japanese put out Israel, 5-0, for a third consecutive first-round victory. The Chinese, out to regain world table tennis supremacy from the Japanese, made short work of Peru by a similar perfect score of 5-0. It was also their third straight triumph in two days. In opening-day contests yesterday, Japan humiliated Australia and Austria 5-0, and China blanked Greece, 5-0, after winning by default over Jamaica, which failed to send players in time for the opening. The thirty-first world table tenjnls championships will go down in history as the blackest ever tor New Zealand. New Zeeland men lose Yesterday morning the New Zealand men’s team lost to Iran, 1-5, and thus failed to win a group match In the ’ tournament. They will now play-off among

the lower grade teams, and can’t finish any better than in third last place, and may finish second last or last.

It was a sad morning for New Zealand; and the women’s two defeats on Sunday left them in the bottom category, and in a group of four bottom teams, of which two have failed to arrive. So in effect, it would appear as though New Zealand and Singapore will play off for the bottom place on the world ladder. This is disappointing after gaining second place in the Commonwealth tournament. Under the group system in the world events, much depends on the draw. New Zealand was unlucky in drawing the tough Rumanian and Austrian teams. They narrowly missed beating Austria, and had they succeeded they must have gained a world ranking between No. 13 and 24. Several of the teams they beat in Singapore are playing off fox those positions, but they were more fortunate than New Zealand in the original draw. The New Zealand men are also disappointed, but they had an easier draw than the women. They lost to Ghana whom they beat in Singapore, and to Iran, which is a much improved team from that which New Zealand beat in Sweden in 1967.

Results:— Swaythling Cup Group A.—First round: Japan beat Israel, 5-0; Austria beat Australia, 5-3. Group B.—First round: Sweden beat Ghana, 5-0. Group C.—First round: Greece won by default over Jamaica; China beat Peru, 5-0. Group D.—First round: Yugoslavia won by default over Pakistan; Thailand beat Brazil, 5-0. Group E.—First round: West Germany beat Nigeria, 5-0. Group F.—First round: Hungary beat Canada, 5-0. Group G.—First round: North Korea beat United Arab Republic, 5-0. t Group H.—First round: South Korea beat United States. 5-0.. Group I.—First round: England beat Netherlands, 5-1; Iran beat New Zealand, 5-1 (A. Hejazl beet G. Murphy, 21-18, 21-11; M. Vahabzadeh lost to A. Tomlinson, 19-21, 21-8, 17-21; H. Bozorgzade beat J. Morris, 21-8, 21-10; Jejazi beat Tomlinson, 17-21, 21-17, 22-20; Bozorgzade beat Murphy, 21-15, 21-9; Vahabzadeh beat Morris, 21-10, 22-24, 21-14). Group J.—First round: Czechoslovakia beat Cambodia. 5-1. * Group K.—First round: France beat India, 5-1. Group L.—First round: Indonesia beat Denmark. 5-3.