Forecast calls for bright Sun rise

CHENGDU - In two short weeks, Chinese youth paddler Sun Yingsha has made a name for herself in the table tennis world as the 16-year-old claimed her first ITTF World Tour title at the Japan Open and then reached the final of the China Open.

Though she lost 4-1 to world No 1 Ding Ning in the women's final at the China Open last Sunday, Sun has recorded a perfect start at the ITTF World Tour tournaments by winning her first 11 matches, including victories over established stars Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng, and Feng Tianwei.

"The China Open was just my second World Tour event. Before the competition, my goal was not to lose to foreign players and just try to play game by game," Sun said after defeating teammate and second seed Liu Shiwen without losing a game in the semifinal on Saturday.