Marc Lim blogs from the table tennis semi-finals. 3-2 Singapore!

Peking University Gymnastium
In Beijing

FINAL SCORE: SINGAPORE 3 - SOUTH KOREA 2

Tianwei saves the day. Source: AFP

2:25pm: IT'S just minutes before the big Singapore vs South Korea table tennis semi-final and the line-ups are out. It's Dang Ye Seo vs Feng Tianwei first; Kim Kyung Ah, the woman who beat Li Jiawei in the 2004 Athens Games, faces Jiawei next.

A small pocket of Singapore fans waving the national flag dot the half-filled 5,000 capacity gymnasium as the players warm-up.

Remember, this is THE match that determines whether Singapore gets a medal in table tennis. If we win, we get at least a silver. If we lose, we might not get any medal at all.

2:35pm: Singapore takes the first game with 11-5 and the Singapore fans go crazy. Rightly so, too. This means the Singapore girls have taken an important step towards the finals. Korea's Dang gets a pep talk from her coach during the break.

2:54pm: The first set is ours: 11-5, 11-5, 11-2! Singapore 1, Korea NIL.

Next up: Li Jiawei versus Kim Kyung Ah. This is essentially a re-match of the Athens 2004 women's singles bronze play-off when Kim won. Will Jiawei be affected by the ghosts of four years ago?

They're beginning a two-minute warm-up at the moment.

3:02pm: Jiawei opens with 11-5. It's a big psychological boost against her nemesis. Kim maintains a poker face as they start the second game.

3:05pm: The arena is now three-quarters full and, small gathering though they may be, the Singapore fans are making the most noise singing Xin Jia Po Jia You. (Go Singapore!)

3:10pm: Kim is turning the tables on Jiawei and surged back with a 5-2 lead. Jiawei seems a little impatient on killing off the game and makes some errors. She needs to adopt a more patient approach if she wants to stay ahead.

3:12pm: Kim's chopping, defensive style looks to be have found its groove as Jiawei again rushes a smash to give the Korean a 7-5 lead.

We've just seen the longest rally of the game so far involving 20 returns!

3:13pm: Jiawei stays patient and waits for the perfect kill to bring score to 6-7.

3:14pm: And it's 7-7, Jiawei levels it, as Korea calls for a time-out. Brilliant rally!

3:15pm: Jiawei looked to have sealed the points with smash after smash, but Kim's returning... In the end, Kim sends a smash of her own into the net to give Singapore a 8-7 lead.

3:16pm: Kim scores three straight points to go 10-8 up. Jiawei sends her return long. Game point and Kim wins. So it's Singapore-Korea 1-1 after two sets.

3:25pm: Kim builds on the her 2nd game win to lead 5-3, but Jiawei wins three straight points to lead 6-5, Kim hitting into the net to hand the advantage to Singapore. 7-5 to Jiawei!

3:27pm: Beijing-born Jiawei seems to have strong support here as the crowd chants "Li Jiawei Jia You". But Jiawei then sends a forehand return into the net. 7-6.

3:28pm:Dejavu! Another return into the net levels the score. This time her smash works as Kim returns long and finds herself 7-8 down.

3:30pm: 8-8, an amazing defense by Kim turns defence into attack. 9-8, Kim's returns off another and Jiawei's smash just fails to cross the net. 9-9, Jiawei misses the ball, the second time today.

10-9, Lady Luck smiles on Jiawei and her ball finds the side of the table!

3:31pm: 11-9 to Jiawei thanks to a return from Kim that found the net. Jiawei's 2-1 up!

3:35pm: The third set has kicked off and both players trade point for point, neither wanting to fall behind. 1-1 to 5-5.

3:37pm: Jiawei pulls 6-5 ahead. Can she carry on the momentum?

3:38pm: Yes she can, 7-5 to Singapore! 

3:39pm: Kim comes back to score four straight points and leads 10-6. Wait, make that 11-6 to Kim.

So it's 2-all now and the winner of the next game takes the set.

3:45pm: Jiawei races to an early 4-2 lead but Kim is not ready to cave in. Kim rallies back to draw 2-2.

3:47pm: Singapore calls  a time-out with the score at 4-4.

3:49pm: Crucial string of points give Kim a 8-5 lead. Could this be the beginning of the end?

No way, says Jiawei. 8-6.

3:50pm: 8-7 as Jiawei stays patient, and forces Kim into a mistake...

9-7. Jiawei's smash goes wide. This is nail-biting stuff.

3:51pm: 10-7, just as crowd begins to applaud a long rally. Jiawei's smash catches the net and goes wide again. Match point for Kim.

10-8, can Jiawei come back?

3:53pm: It's Kim's turn to send a return wide and it's 10-9! Kim's blown two set points in a row!

3:54pm: But it's 11-9 as Kim says it's not going to be three-in-a-row. Jiawei misses the ball and the set goes to South Korea. The teams are now tied a match apiece.

Next up, the doubles.

4:00pm: Just a quick recap, folks. The score so far: SINGAPORE 1 - SOUTH KOREA 1.

Singapore's Feng Tianwei took the first singles 11-5, 11-5, 11-2.

South Korea's Kim Kyung Ah then beat Li Jiawei in a five-game thriller, 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8.

4:03pm: The doubles are on. Singapore's Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu against South Korea's Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young.

4:07pm: Beating the Korea pair will not be an easy task. No Singapore duo so far has managed to do that.

But Singapore lead by an early 6-4. Kim sends a return long and Singapore are now 7-4 up.

4:09pm: The action's back-to-back and Singapore now leads 9-5.

4:12pm: 11-7, Singapore takes the first game!

4:23pm: 11-6 to Singapore in the second set. The pair of Li and Wang have only been training together for one month and appeared the weak link in the team. They're two games up now though. But the Koreans have bounced back to lead 4-0 in the third game.

4:28pm: Singapore claw their way back and now are 5-5. No... make that 6-5 to Singapore! What a comeback.

4:29pm: Alas, Ditto for Korea, who have levelled to 7-7 now. The crowd is quietening down now. It must be difficult to maintain the energy levels of the Kim-Jiawei thriller.

4:31pm: But this match is turning out to be quite a tense affair. The teams are now 8-8, and Singapore takes a 9-8 lead.

Two more points and they lead two matches to one. 9-9, this will go to the wire!

4:33pm: 10-9 to Singapore... One more point... 11-9 and Singapore leads 2-1!

4:38pm: Now we wait for Wang Yuegu against Dang Ye Sao. If the contest goes to five matches, it will be Feng Tianwei facing Park.

Singapore National Olympic Council president Teo Chee Hean is here, so is MCYS Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck. IOC executive board member from Singapore Ng Ser Miang is also here and the VIPs are visibly anxious. Some have gone for a little jaunt to walk off their nervousness.

It's all rather exciting since Singapore hasn't  won a medal at the Olympics Games since 1960 when Tan Howe Liang won a weightlifting silver at the Rome Olympics.

4:48pm: Dang kicks off with an amazing 0-6 lead.

7-0 to Dang. The doubles win may have tired Yuegu and she looks out of sorts.

7-1, Yuegu gets her first point but has a mountain to climb. 

8-1, it's running away from Yuego... Fast.

9-1, 9-2... How long can Yuegu hold on?

4:49pm: 9-3. What must go going through her mind? Conserve energy and concede the first game, or fight.

9-4, seems she's a fighter.. 9-5!

4:51pm: 9-6! That's five straight points for Singapore and Korea calls for a time-out.

4:52pm: 9-7, if Yuego manages to pull off a win, it will be a major boost to her confidence, and a blow to the Koreans.

9-8. 10-8. 11-8 to Dang as the South Korean paddler keeps her composure!

4:55pm: I wonder who chooses the songs. They're playing Avril Lavigne's "So Much For My Happy Ending" now. Interesting sense of humour!

4:57pm: Yuegu leads 3-1, but Dang reduces lead to 3-2.

4-3 to Dang. Te tables are turned. But not for long as Yuego levels it to 4-4.

4:59pm: 6-5 to Dang and Yuegu stomps her feet in frustration. 6-6, it draws immediate response.

5:00pm: 7-6 to Dang after an lighting quick exchange. With two choppers in the Korean team, Dang is the only one capable of engaging the Singapore players in this sort of rally.

5:02pm: 8-7 to Singapore. 8-8, Yuegu smashes wide and points her finger at the table in frustration. 9-8, Dang has the edge... But the South Korean gets a yellow card for taking too long with her serve.

5:03pm: It does not affect her as she wins the point to go 10-8 up. 10-9, still hope for Yuegu. 10-10!

5:04pm: Players have to win by two points now to win the game. Advantage to Dang 11-10.

11-11, both players want this game so badly. Again advantage Dang 12-11.

5:05pm: Square again at 12 all as Dang smashes long. 

5:06pm: 13-12 to Dang, and now 14-12. Dang is two games up to Yuegu's zero.

Tianwei starts to warm-up by the side. Singapore would rather she not be needed and for Yuegu to seal the win. But she'd have to win the next three games to do so.

5:09pm: 2-2 in a must-win for Yuegu.

She's in a 3-2 lead now but Dang draws level.

5:11pm: Bad mistake by Yuegu as she returns wide. A time-out call. She needs to recollect her thoughts. Meanwhile, Dang's hopping like a bunny rabbit. Yuegu listens as coach Liu Guodong talks strategy.

5:12pm: Here we go. 3-6. Dang has the edge.

5:14pm: 6-7, Yuegu trails. She needs to pick it up... She does. It's 7-7.

7-8, the game is moving away from Yuegu.

5:16pm: Tianwei passes behind the Singapore corner. One can only imagine what must be going through her mind. She could be Singapore's heroine, or remebered as the one who lost the silver if this goes to the rubber game. 8-9 to Dang.

9-9, wonderful Yuego smash which goes just beyond Dang's desperate dive.

5:17pm: 10-9, Dang's game and match point. 3-0 to Dang and it's Singapore and Korea 2-2.

It's now up to Feng Tianwei to win it for Singapore. She's playing Park Mi Young next set.

5:23pm: With USA beating Romania 3-1 this morning in the bronze-medal Round One playoff, the loser of this Singapore-Korea semi-final will meet the Americans.

The winner of that will then play the victor in the other end of the draw. Japan, who beat Austria 3-0, against the loser of the China-Hong Kong semi-final.

5:24pm: 3-2 to the South Korean Park Mi Young as the game opens.

5:26pm: Tianwei is Singapore's weakest player against defensive players like Park. But she finds herself 5-4 ahead.

6-4 now.

7-4!

5:28pm: 8-4, she seems to have found an answer to handling the choppers with a patient approach.

She waits for the right time to kill, and does so again, 9-4 to Singapore!

9-5, two more points needed for Tianwei...

5:29pm: 9-6. Uh oh... Tianwei still has a cushion to work with, but not much... a cushion which is now two points. 9-7.

5:31pm: 10-7, back to three points. One more point to take the HUGELY important first game.

AND THERE IT IS! 11-7 to Tianwei and Singapore!

5:33pm: A short breather before the battle resumes, and it's Tianwei who draws first blood! 1-NIL to Singapore.

5:34pm: Wonderful play, thoughtful placement from right to left to set up the point. 2-0 to Tianwei.

3-0, she builds a healthy lead...

5:35pm: It's 3-2 now. Two quick points for Park. 

5:36pm: 4-4!

5:40pm: 7-6 to Park. Tianwei forces Park into an error. 8-6. Park returns long and the Singapore camp leaps to its feet. 8-7!

5:41pm: 8-8. Another Park return gone wrong! And it's a time-out by Korea.

5:43pm: 9-8 to Singapore... Can Tianwei build on the lead?

5:45pm: 9-9. Park suddenly turns defence into attack, a strong forehand down Tianwei's right.

10-9. Crucial game point for Singapore. A bad miss at a crucial stage. 10-10, Tianwei sending a smash just too long with Park on the backfoot.

11-10, game point again... Singapore needs this...

5:46pm: An entire nation wills her thousands of miles away. IT'S THERE!

12-10!

Singapore LEAD 2-0 in the women's team event semi-final.

Tianwei will turn 22 on August 31st, what a birthday present a win in the third game will be!

Singapore will be assured a silver if she wins and under the Singapore National Olympic Council's reward system, it's a cool $750,000 for the team for silver.

The gold is double that at $1.5 million.

But the players can't think about that now. They need to focus on the task at hand: To get one more game!

5:50pm: It's a sobering 1-4 to Korea.

Tianwei completely misread the ball and misses it!

But not this time. 2-4, a rally that draws applause from the now 4,000-strong crowd. Great play by Tianwei and Park, but the Singaporean had the final say, smashing a shot which Park could not return.

5:52pm: 2-5 down, as Park restores the three-point advantage. 2-6, four points ahead.

Tianwei needs to refocus. She's frustrated with herself.

2-7. 2-8. It's running away from Singapore.

2-9. Tianwei needs just one more game to win this, a loss here will not be disaster.

3-10. Looks like it will be 1-2 to Singapore on Tianwei's watch. Unless...

5:55pm: No, it is. Park smashes down the edge of the table, to win 11-3.

Singapore still leads in the rubber game. 2-1.

5:57pm: Tianwei draws first blood in the fourth game. Two returns into the net, makes it 2-0 to SIngapore.

3-0.

5:59pm: 4-0. The Singapore fans are getting louder. Their cheers are now roars.

5-0! Fingers all crossed!

6:00pm: 5-2. Two quick points by Korea. 5-3. Park refuses to give up and pumps her fist into their air.

6:01pm: 6-3 to Singapore. Lucky break and Tianwei acknowledges it as the ball just hits the table's edge.

6:03pm: But Park gets a luck break of her own, the ball hitting the net and just dropping over to deceive Tianwei.

The Korean coach is sent off to join Yuegu. The tension is mounting.

6:04pm: 7-4 to Singapore, now 7-5. Singapore is halfway there. Can Tiawei bring the nation home?

A long, amazing rally ends with Tianwei smashing into the net. 7-6. A crucial point in the game.

6:05pm: 7-7... A great fightback by Park! it's all level now.

8-7 to Singapore. Park misses her smash.

The players wipe their sweat off the table. It's been that kind of match!

6:08pm: 8-8. Park smashes down the table's edge.

9-8 to Singapore! Tianwei raises her fist in triumph! To more points to make history.

But Park says: "Not quite yet." 9-9.

6:09pm:10-9. ONE MORE POINT TO HISTORY!!!! Take all the time in the world Tianwei.

6:10pm: WE GOT A MEDAL!

6:12pm: Singapore has done it and it's silver at least. Jiawei is reduced to tears; and so are the Koreans but for very different reasons. That footage of Park hitting long will be replayed over and over again, I'm sure.

Thank you, Tianwei.

From the Peking University Gymnasium, I'm Marc Lim. I'll be back for the Finals, Singapore. Over and out.

Jiawei hugs Tianwei. Source: Reuters