17 YEAR OLD MIU HIRANO BEAT TIANWEI TO PICK JAPAN’S FIRST GOLD MEDAL IN 48 YEARS

DUSSELDORF, Germany – Seventeen year old Miu Hirano, from Japan on Friday beat Singapore’s Feng Tianwei in four games (11-5, 11-2, 18-16, 11-5) at the Liebherr 2017 to give his country the first gold medal in 48 years.

The last time Japan won a singles medal was back in 1969 World Champonship when Toshiko Kowada won gold in Munich, Germany.

Speaking after the win, Hirano said: “I did not know that it has been so long that Japan had won a medal, I am a bit surprised. I am happy to have this record, and that this will be in the history books.”- Miu Hirano.

Hirano is just fresh off winning the ITTF-Asian Championship in April this year, and her confidence here in Düsseldorf is clearly sky high. “After my win, I have more self confidence, I don’t have any fear before a match. I always enter a match to win,” she said, adding, “I want to win the title here in Düsseldorf,” she said.

She will now face Olympic and World Champion Ding Ning in the semi-finals to be played on 3rd June 2017. Ding Ning out staged Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa in a smooth five game win (11-8,11-2,7-11,11-8,11-2).