Fencing World Cup Fujairah: South Korea’s Sera Song strikes back at Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong with sudden-death épée win
- A week after taking Song’s world No 1 ranking, Kong is unable to deny her victory in their clash in the United Arab Emirates
- Song recovers to force sudden death in épée final and goes on to prevail
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World No 1 Vivian Kong Man-wai was one win short of triumphing in back-to-back épée events for the first time in her career as she came second at the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
Kong returned to the top of the rankings two weeks ago at the expense of South Korean fencer Sera Song, but was this time unable to displace the reigning world champion, losing 14-13.
In her third final of the season, having also reached one in Vancouver last December, 29-year-old Kong found herself on the back foot when Song pulled off a 5-1 run to lead 9-6.
The Hongkonger responded with a 5-1 run of her own, only for Song to tie it at 13 apiece with 30 seconds to go, sending it into sudden death. It was Song who clinched it.
Kong had received a bye to the round of 64 and soon found herself in the last eight after edging past Naiara Aldana of Spain, Lim Joo-mi of South Korea and Japanese veteran Nozommi Sato.
She survived a stern test from Xiao Ruien of Canada, managing a 13-12 win to seal her fourth medal of the season.
Kong then overcame a familiar foe in the semi-finals to reach back-to-back finals for the first time since January 2019.
The Hongkonger remained in front before sending world No 4 Anna Kun of Hungary home with a 15-11 victory.
That was only Kong’s second success against Kun, having previously lost three times in four encounters.
Ten other women’s epeeists represented Hong Kong in Fujairah, but only birthday girl Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, who turned 22 on Friday, reached the last 64 after going through her five pool matches undefeated.
Coco Lin Yik-hei, Moonie Chu Ka-mong and Chan Tsz-ching also advanced from the pool stage but were eventually denied in the preliminary knockout stage.
Hsieh dispatched Elvira Martensson of Sweden 15-13 to set up a clash with world No 11 Choi Injeong of South Korea in the round of 32.
Having trailed 7-2 at one point, world No 85 Hsieh stormed back to stun the two-time Asian champion 15-11.
It was not to be her day, though. Hsieh, whose best World Cup result was a seventh-place finish in February last year, fell at the next hurdle to a former world champion.
Facing Brazilian veteran Nathalie Moellhausen, ranked 79 places above her at No 6, the Hongkonger put up a fight before losing 13-11.
Separately, four Hong Kong foilists emerged from the pool and preliminary knockout stages to qualify for the main draw of the Grand Prix in Shanghai.
Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Leung Chin-yu, Cheung Ngo-chun and Lee Yat-long joined world No 2 Cheung Ka-long, who received a bye into Sunday’s latter stages.
Cheung, who took silver at the World Cup in Mexico a fortnight ago, will face Gergo Szemes of Hungary in the round of 64.
In the women’s event, Valerie Cheng Hiu-wai and Daphne Chan Nok-sze were the only Hong Kong fencers to reach the main draw. Cheng will face world No 1 Lee Kiefer of the United States, while Chan will take on Italian world No 3 Alice Volpi.
