Hong Kong's Asian Championship men's doubles finalists continued to set new highs for the SAR as both pairs reached the quarter-finals of the world championships at the Palais Omnisports in Paris. Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak, who won an all-Hong Kong encounter in Bangkok in February, defeated Ryusuke Sakamoto and Seiya Kishikawa of Japan four games to one, while the younger pair of Cheung Yuk and Leung Chu-yan followed them into the last eight with a four sets to two win over Taiwan's Chuan Chih-yuan and Chiang Peng-lung. 'I think it's the first time Hong Kong have had two pairs in the last eight,' said men's coach Chan Kong-wah. 'If we get a medal it will be sensational. It's a difficult standard in the men's doubles. In the last two years our players' mentality has improved so much. I am very happy about this.' Chan was particularly pleased with the way 21-year-old Cheung rebounded from his surprise loss in seven games to Austria's Kostadin Lengerov in the second round of the men's singles the night before, to play his part in an 11-5, 9-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9 victory. 'It was very hard for him to re-motivate himself,' Chan said. 'He didn't get going for the first two sets, but he improved. He still wanted to fight and that's important.' Li and Ko, who, at 28 and 27 years old respectively, are veterans by the standard of the sport, enjoyed a more comfortable 11-8, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8 win against a young pair they had dominated in the past. 'I think they were very confident against the Japanese. They have beaten them three times before,' Chan said. Li and Ko were due to face quarter-final opponents Ma Lin and Qin Zhijian of China this morning (Hong Kong time) while Cheung and Leung had the equally demanding task of meeting South Korea's Oh Sang-eun and Kim Taek-soo. 'I don't think we've got a good chance,' their coach said. 'Ma and Qin are the best team in the world. Cheung and Leung have lost the last couple of times they have played the Koreans.' Chan's delight contrasted with the mood after all three Hong Kong pairs went out of the mixed doubles late on day three of the competition, to be followed by both pairs in the women's doubles early on the fourth day. Lau Sui-fei and Kwok Fong-fong, the lower ranked of the two women's couples, actually performed the better, taking the mighty Chinese pair of Li Jia and Li Ju, who won the world championship with Wang Nin in 2001, to seven games, losing 13-15, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 15-13, 10-12, 11-4. Tie Yana and Song Ah-sim, however, went down meekly to the Asian Games gold medallists Suk Eun-mi and Lee Eun-sil in straight sets 12-10, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8. Tie and Cheung Yuk, won Hong Kong's first Asian Games table tennis gold medal in the mixed doubles, were the biggest disappointment in the discipline in Paris. Suk Eun-mi was again the architect, this time with Ryu Seung-min as Tie and Cheuk went out four games to three.
