by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
A notable success for Korea Republic but at the quarter-final stage there were two defeats for the Asian country.
Yuki Matsuyama and Hina Hayata, the no.4 seeds, redressed the balance. After recording a third round win against the combination of Italy’s Daniele Pinto and Germany’s Jennie Wolf (11-3, 11-8, 11-5), the Japanese duo accounted for An Jaehyun and Kang Dayeon, the no.12 seeds (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3).
Victory for one Korean pairing at in the round of the last eight, defeat for another, for a third it was also defeat.
Cho Daeseong and Kim Youjin, the no.23 seeds, after having caused a third round upset by beating the French pairing of Alexandre Cassin and Audrey Zarif, the no.6 seeds (13-11, 11-6, 10-12, 5-11, 11-5), experienced defeat at the hands of China’s Xu Haidong and Yuan Yuan, the no.20 seeds (6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 13-11, 11-7).
Notably one round earlier Xu Haidong and Yuan Yuan had accounted for Japan’s Tonin Ryuzaki and Miyu Kato, the no.3 seeds (11-6, 11-7, 11-8).
Success for Asia, there was also success for Europe; the combination formed by Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic and Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku duly booked their place in the semi-finals.
The no.10 seeds, they beat Romania’s Cristian Pletea and Adina Diaconu, the no.7 seeds, in round three by the very narrowest of margins (5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9), before ousting Hong Kong’s Ng Pak Nam and Mak Tze Wing, the no.14 seeds in the quarter-finals. A second full distance contest was the outcome as the eventual victors, after winning the first three games withstood a spirited recovery (13-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-13, 7-11, 2-11, 11-6).
At the semi-final stage, Cho Seungmin and Kim Jiho meet Xu Haidong and Yuan Yuan; in the opposite half of the draw Yuki Matsuyama and Hina Hayata confront Darko Jorgic and Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku.
Best of seven games at the from the quarter-finals onwards, as opposed to best of five games in the earlier rounds, the penultimate round matches will be played on Tuesday 6th December.
