by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Earlier in the day, he had caused a sensation by beating China’s Fan Zhendong, the top seed, in five games (13-11, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8); immediately Fan Zhendong recovered to record a four games win over Koki Niwa (11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10).
Thus games ratio determined the outcome; Koki Niwa finished in first place (4:3) ahead of Fan Zhendong (5:4) and Chen Chien-An (3:5). Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit, the fourth member of the group, ended the day without a win to his name; the no.11 seed, in his concluding group phase contest, he was beaten by Fan Zhendong (13-11, 16-14, 11-4).
Koki Niwa and Fan Zhendong progress to the quarter-finals; for Chen Chien-An he must compete in the preliminary round. Alas for Ho Kwan Kit it is the end of the road,
Top place for Koki Niwa, it was the same for Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the no.6 seed. He finished ahead of Korea’s Jeong Sangeun, Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan and Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting. Similarly, Jun Mizutani, like Koki Niwa from Japan topped his group; he completed matters ahead of China’s Lin Gaoyuan and India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta.
In the concluding group phase contests, Chuang Chih-Yuan, the no.6 seed, accounted for Jeong Sangeun (11-3, 11-9, 14-12); Noshad Alamiyan, the no.12 seed ended a day of misery, three defeats, for Wong Chun Ting, the no.2 seed (7-11, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6)
Likewise, Jun Mizutani, the no.3 seed, beat Sharath Kamal Achanta, the no.10 seed (11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8), Lin Gaoyuan, the no.7 seed, overcame Lee Sangsu, the no.5 seed (11-9, 11-8, 11-9).
Meanwhile, in the regional group, Iran’s Nima Alamian cemented first place by overcoming Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Al-Abbad (11-5, 11-7, 11-7); the counterpart contest, Thailand’s Padasak Tanviriyavechakul overcame India’s Harmeet Desai (5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4).
Nima Alamian now advances to the preliminary round where he faces Chen Chien-An; in the counterpart contest elder brother, Noshad Alamiyan opposes Lee Sangsu.
