37TH WORLD TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS:
1. GV INTERIOR Olympic pool stadium, Tokyo 0.04
2. SV No. 292 Barry Griffiths of New Zealand match against Michael Plum (W. Germany) 3-2. 0.22
3. GV/CU No. 598 Fumiko Shinpo of Japan winning her match against Elisabeth Deistler (Austria) by 3 games to nil (2 shots) 0.49
4. SV/LV Crowd watches as Mok Kasha (No. 567) of Hong Kong, beats Tan Ahtee of Singapore 3-0. (2 shots) 1.20
5. SV Spectators watch as No. 175 Carl Prean of Britain serves to Thierry Cabrera of Belgium. (2 shots) 1.28
6. SV/LV Prean beats Cabrera by three to nil (4 shots) 1.58
InitialsCC/BB

SPORT: TABLE TENNIS
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Background: TOKYO, JAPAN

The second half of the 37th table tennis championships began in Japan on May 5 with China firm favourites for all titles. The Chinese, who had won both finals of the men's and women's team events, went on to win three out of four matches in the first round of the men's singles. But with most of the play taken up with qualification matches, there were no major Chinese players scheduled to take part. In the day's other matches, Michael Plum of West Germany battled on courageously against Barry Griffiths of New Zealand (No. 292), who eventually won by three games to two. Japan's Fumiko Shinpo (No. 598), who had previously played in the final of the team competition against China, won her first round singles game quickly against Austria's Elisabeth Deistler by three games to nil. Mok Kasha of Hong Kong (No. 567) secured the same score -- and an easy victory -- against Tan Ahtee of Singapore. England's 15-year-old Carl Prean (No. 175), rated one of his country's best prospects in years, overwhelmed Thierry Cabrera of Belgium in the second qualifying round. Although sluggish in the first game, which he won 21-19, he quickened his pace to win 21-9 in the second game, and unleashed the full power of his backhand drive in the third, which he took by a splendid 21-1 score. The tournament, held in Tokyo's indoor Olympic pool stadium is due to end on May 9.

Source: REUTERS - KIMIAKI TANAKA