Players Biographies
Women
1
DING NING
Country: China
World Ranking: 1
Seed #: 1
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Left handed
Best results at WTTC: Champion
Interesting Info:
Ding studies sports journalism at the University of Sports in
Shanghai since 2012. She is also well-liked by fans due to her
bubbly character.
Nickname: Big Baby
Social Media Pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DingNingOfficial
Weibo: @丁宁
2
LIU SHIWEN
Country: China
World Ranking: 2
Seed #: 2
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand / Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Runner-up
Interesting Info:
Few months before the Asian Games in 2014, Liu experienced
severe pain in her knee that she once pondered to give up her
spot in the Asian Games team. Despite the pain, Liu persevered by
improving both her physical and technical skills.
Nickname: Little Date
Social Media Pages:
Weibo: @刘诗雯Sunny
3
LI XIAOXIA
Country: China
World Ranking: 3
Seed #: 3
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Champion
Interesting Info:
Li was called “eternal second” for a very long time. But she has
used her biggest opportunity of her lifetime at the 2012 Olympics
in London, when she surprisingly won the final against team mate
Ding Ning by 4:3.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
Weibo: @李晓霞乒乓
4
FENG TIANWEI
Country: Singapore
World Ranking: 4
Seed #: 4
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
Feng created one of table tennis biggest history when she led the
Singapore team to beat China to clinch the World Team
Championships title in 2010. She also won bronze at the London
2012 Olympic Games .
Nickname: Joy
Social Media Pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fengtianwei
Weibo: @冯天薇
5
KASUMI ISHIKAWA
Country: Japan
World Ranking: 5
Seed #: 5
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Left handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
Ishikawa comes from a table tennis family, her mother is her coach,
and her sister is also a professional table tennis player. Ishikawa is
also able to speak mandarin fluently.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
6
ZHU YULING
Country: China
World Ranking: 6
Seed #: 6
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Semi-final
Interesting Info:
Zhu has a habit of writing her feelings in a diary, and is also
interested in psychology. Zhu also loves to watch Korean dramas.
Nickname: Little Piggy
Social Media Pages:
Weibo: @朱雨玲
7
WU YANG
Country: China
World Ranking: 7
Seed #: 7
Style of Play: Defense/ Shakehand/ Left handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
Wu took almost 5 years to be promoted to the Chinese 1st team.
Wu also claims that she is a lazy person, but her coaches and
teammates have different views, saying that she is actually very
hardworking.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
Weibo: @ w武小杨
8
AI FUKUHARA
Country: Japan
World Ranking: 8
Seed #: 8
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
Named Japan’s child prodigy at a young age, Fukuhara started
learning table tennis at a young age of 3. At a young age of 14,
Fukuhara entered the quarter-final of the 2003 WTTC.
Nickname: Ai-chan
Social Media Pages:
9
SEO HYOWON
Country: Korea Republic
World Ranking: 11
Seed #: 9
Style of Play: Defense/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Round of 16
Interesting Info:
Different to the traditional Korean defenders as she can attack
with the forward. Seo peaked later than usual players and
clinched her first ITTF World Tour title in home ground Korea in
2013. One person she respects most is 1988 Olympics champion
Hyun Jung Hwa.
Nickname: Eol-jjang (Good-looking)
Social Media Pages:
10
LIU JIA
Country: Austria
World Ranking: 12
Seed #: 10
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Left handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
She achieved her first success by winning the 1st International
Austrian Youth Championships in Linz. Liu Jia is also a mother with
one daughter.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
11
DOO HOI KEM
Country: Hong Kong
World Ranking: 14
Seed #: 12
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Round of 64
Interesting Info:
Dubbed as the upcoming talent for Hong Kong, Doo beat Kasumi
Ishikawa and Ai Fukuhara at the recent Spanish & German Open
respectively. Her table tennis journey started under the influence
of her brother, and her favourite player is Fan Zhendong.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
12
MIMA ITO
Country: Japan
World Ranking: 15
Seed #: 13
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Interesting Info:
Ito created history twice in 2014, together with partner Hirano Miu
by becoming the youngest duo to win a World Tour doubles title,
and also winning the Grand Finals in December 2014. She also
became the youngest ever World Tour singles title holder after
winning the 2015 German Open at 14 years and 152 days old.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
13
YU MENGYU
Country: Singapore
World Ranking: 16
Seed #: 14
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Round of 16
Interesting Info:
Yu started playing table tennis at the age of 5 because her
parents felt that playing sports will help her strengthen her body
and her immune system. She was part of the team that won the
2010 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Moscow.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
Weibo: @于梦雨RAYNE
14
GEORGINA POTA
Country: Hungary
World Ranking: 17
Seed #: 15
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Round of 32
Interesting Info:
Pota has been seamlessly integrated into the ranks of the great
Hungarian Table Tennis ladies. Pota won her first ITTF World Tour
Women Singles in her 83rd attempt at the Czech Open. She will
play doubles with Elizabeta Samara (ROU).
Nickname: Gina
Social Media Pages:
15
ELIZABETA SAMARA
Country: Romania
World Ranking: 18
Seed #: 16
Style of Play: Attack/ Shakehand/ Left handed
Best results at WTTC: Round of 16
Interesting Info:
Samara’s coach has been coaching her since her junior days till
now. She is also able to speak 4 languages (Romanian, English,
Spanish and Italian). She will be playing doubles with Georgina
Pota (HUN).
Nickname: Eliza
Social Media Pages:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/elizabetasamara
16
RI MYONG SUN
Country: Korea DPR
World Ranking: 26
Seed #: 19
Style of Play: Defense/ Shakehand/ Right handed
Best results at WTTC: Quarter-final
Interesting Info:
New leading player for the North Korean team, having beaten
Ishikawa Kasumi during the 2014 Asian Cup. She also played in
the Chinese Super League in 2014, representing Beijing alongside
Ding Ning.
Nickname:
Social Media Pages:
17