Jiang Tianyi is our future, says Hong Kong coach

The future of men's table tennis in Hong Kong lies with Jiang Tianyi, even if he fails to make it past the quarter-finals in London, according to coach Chan Kong-wah.

Jiang came from two sets down to beat North Korean Kim Hyok-bong 14-12, 6-11, 11-13, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 15-13 in the last 16, but the real test is to come - a quarter-final showdown against Zhang Jike of China today.

Zhang, the reigning world champion and favourite for Olympic gold, was given a scare by veteran Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, who blew a 3-2 lead to lose 4-3.

Jiang admitted he would be the underdog against Zhang, whom he has met many times in competition as both are Shandong natives.

'We first played together at junior level and then got promoted to the provincial team at the same time,' said Jiang, 24. 'We know each other very well, on and off the table. But he is definitely the better player, although we seldom play against each other at international level.

'He is now the world champion and the hottest player on the tour. As the number one seed, he is facing a lot of pressure and I hope to take advantage of this and play [well].'

Whatever the result, Jiang will be the face of the Hong Kong men's team for the next few years, following the retirement of Ko Lai-chak and the impending retirement of Li Ching.