TABLE TENNIS: Youth Olympic table tennis players Vy Bui and Dominic Huang have proved their worth on the international stage after putting up a fight in their round one singles matches today.

Competing at the Wutaishan Sports Gymnasium in Nanjing both Bui and Huang faced some tough competitors but kept the intensity high throughout each game.

“I am proud of both of them. Their second matches were much better than their first. They were more relaxed and played to their potential. This will be a fantastic learning curve for them,” coach Jens Lang said.

Huang faced 16th and 17th seeds Elias Ranefur (SWE) and Fermin Tenti (ARG) in his first two matches of the Games but despite being seeded much lower than them he made sure to give them a run for their money.

“In my second match I played a lot more aggressive, I was much more relaxed [but] during my first match I was shaking and I was very nervous. This affected my level of play,” the 16-year-old said.

“These are the best players in the world [and] I plan to now watch them and learn as much as I can.”

Huang is keen to improve his game for future competitions and is using the Youth Games as a stepping stone on the road to Rio.

“To get to the next level I need to improve my mental game, I need to go for more risky shots which is the key to winning these type of matches,” Huang said.

“The intensity had been very high [and] the standard of table tennis is simply just nice to watch.”

“I will go back to Australia as a better player and a better person, this experience will always be with me [and] I am now more motivated to be the very best I can be,” the Victorian said.

Bui also had a tough day losing both matches to Nicole Trosman (ISR) and Alaa Saad (EGY) and is enjoying the experience.

Bui and Huang will play their third and final round of the group stage tomorrow morning before they enter the knockout rounds based on their position.

Laura Judd

olympics.com.au

@AUSOlympicTeam