by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Success against the odds; theoretically it was the same for Jeoung Youngsik, the no.27 seed, as alongside Cho Daeseong, he ended Russian aspirations. He beat Kirill Skachkov, the no.26 seed in a duel that reflected the fact there was little to choose between the two adversaries. Jeoung Youngsik won in seven games (11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 5-11, 9-11, 11-8).

Hard fought success for Jeoung Youngsik, for Jang Woojin, the no.4 seed and for Lim Jonghoon, the no.8 seed, life was less dramatic. Jang Woojin overcame Romania’s Hunor Szocs, the no.15 seed (11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7); Lim Jonghoon defeated Hong Kong’s Lam Siu Hang (11-6, 11-3, 12-10, 12-14, 11-8).

Four Koreans through to the last eight; for the remaining places it is very much honours shared.

Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, the no.8 seed, beat French qualifier Antoine Hachard (11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 9-11, 15-13, 11-5, 11-8); likewise in a knife-edge full distance duel, a contest between two players who had been required to compete in the qualification stages, Japan’s Yukiya Uda overcame Pavel Platonov of Belarus (11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8).

Somewhat similarly, Germany’s Qiu Dang emerged successful in a hard fought duel; in six games he ended the adventures of the Czech Republic’s Pavel Sirucek (11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9), the player who had caused a second round sensation the previous day by beating Korea’s Lee Sangsu, the top seed (11-6, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9).

Testing times, for Ukraine’s Kou Lei, the no.2 seed, in the third round of the Men’s Singles event life was less demanding; he beat India’s Amalraj Anthony in five games (6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6, 11-1).

At the quarter-final stage, in the top half of the draw Qiu Dang meets Jeoung Youngsik, Darko Jorgic opposes Jang Woojin; in the lower half it is Yukiya Uda against Lim Jonghoon, Cho Daeseong versus Kou Lei.

The matches will be played later in the evening.