by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
However, there was one close call, Sun Yingsha, the no.4 seed, needed the full seven games to end the hopes of colleague Chen Xingtong (3-11, 15-13, 13-15, 13-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7).
“We both played well today, and I was prepared for a seven games match. Chen Xingtong is also very strong willed, when I was trailing in the match, the umpire penalised me for my service a few times; I think that affected her momentum as well, so I’m lucky to win. We train everyday together and are very familiar with each other, it’s quite normal for me to lose, in the match I just tried to fight for every point.” Sun Yingsha
Success for Sun Yingsha, there was also success for her colleagues, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu. The top seed, Chen Meng overcame Hong Kong’s Lee Ho Ching, the no.15 seed (11-7, 11-6, 11-9, 12-14, 11-3); Wang Manyu, the no.6 seed, ended the hopes of compatriot, Chen Ke, who like Chen Xingtong, had been required to compete in the qualification event. Wang Manyu succeeded in six games (8-11, 11-2, 14-16, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8).
Wins as per status and as per previous meetings; it was the fifth time that Chen Meng and Lee Ho Ching had met on the international scene, it was the fifth time that Chen Meng had won.
Similarly, Wang Manyu held the advantage over Chen Ke; of the four previous occasions when they had confronted each other in world ranking events, Wang Manyu had won three times. The exception was at the semi-final stage of the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the 2015 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships when Chen Ke had won in seven games.
Three wins for China, as the matches in the top half of the draw came to a conclusion there was also success for Hong Kong. Doo Hoi Kem, the no.4 seed, who had beaten Japan’s Kyoka Kato on their two previous international meetings, maintained the tradition. She accounted for the familiar adversary in four straight games (11-8, 11-2, 12-10, 11-7).
At the quarter-final stage Chen Meng meets Wang Manyu, Doo Hoi Kem opposes Sun Yingsha; the round of the last eight and the semi-finals will be played on Saturday 23rd September.
