by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

No member of the quartet required a deciding game in order to ensure success; however, for Xu Haidong and Xu Yingbin there were moments for thought.

After accounting for Chinese Taipei’s Lin Kun-Chung (11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7); Xu Haidong, the top seed, needed six games to overcome Lin Hsin-Yang, the no.7 seed and also from Chinese Taipei (11-7, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7).

Similarly, for Xu Yingbin, the no.4 seed, it was a comfortable second round win followed by a more exacting quarter-final contest. He caused Chinese Taipei more heartache by beating Chen Chun-Hsiang (11-4, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7), prior to overcoming Japan’s Kakeru Sone, the no.6 seed, in six games duel (5-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7).

Meanwhile, for Lin Yun-Ju, the no.2 seed and Yang Shuo, the no.3 seed, there were no moments of charity.

Lin Yun-Ju beat Japan’s Kazuki Hamada (11-8, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9) before accounting for Australia’s Rohan Dhooria, the no.17 seed (11-5, 11-2, 11-3, 11-6); Yang Shuo booked his semi-final place courtesy of success against Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9). One round earlier, Yang Shuo had overcome Thailand’s Yanapong Panagitgun, the no.9 seed (16-14, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5).

In the semi-final round, Xu Haidong meets Xu Yingbin, Yang Shuo opposes Lin Yun-Ju.

No surprises as play progressed to the penultimate stage of the Junior Boys’ Singles event; that was not the situation in the Junior Boys’ Doubles competition.

Xu Yingbin and Yang Shuo, the top seeds, progressed as did Li Hsin-Yang and Lin Yun-Jun, the no.2 seeds but for Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chun-Hsiang and Feng Yi-Hsin, the no.3 seeds, alongside Japan’s Kazuki Hamada and Kakeru Sone, the no.4 seeds, there was defeat.

At the quarter-final stage Chen Chun-Hsiang and Feng Yi-Hsin suffered against Japan’s Hiroto Shinozuka and Jo Yokotani, the no.5 seeds (8-11, 11-7, 15-13, 11-8); Kazuki Hamada and Kakeru Sone experienced defeat at the hands of Yanapong Panagitgun who joined forces with Singapore’s Gerald Yu Zong Jun (11-9, 11-9, 11-8).

Success for Yanapong Panagitgun and Gerald Yu Zong Jun; at the semi-final stage they meet Li Hsin-Yang and Lin Yun-Jun; Xu Yingbin and Yang Shuo oppose Hiroto Shinozuka and Jo Yokotani.

Play concludes in Hong Kong on Sunday 6th August.
Proceedings in Hong Kong conclude on Sunday 6th August.

Photos: courtesy of Hong Kong Table Tennis Association Ltd