by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The result was very much a reversal of fortunes; on the opening day of action, Jeong Sangeun had finished in third place in his group behind Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Koki Niwa; it meant he progress to the challenge round.

In the challenge round he beat Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An, the no.9 seed (12-10, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3).

Conversely, Tomokazu Harimoto had topped his group without a losing a single match.

A change of fortunes for Tomokazu Harimoto, it was the same for Fan Zhendong, as it was for colleague Lin Gaoyuan, the no.2 seed, who also had suffered a somewhat unexpected defeat on the opening day of action when losing to Korea’s Lee Sangsu (11-8, 11-5, 11-5).

Fan Zhendong accounted for Koki Niwa, the no.5 seed, in his quarter-final encounter (9-11, 11-4, 11-3, 12-10, 11-6), Lin Gaoyuan overcame Wong Chun Ting, bronze medallist in Dubai two years ago. Impressively, Lin Gaoyuan prevailed in five games (11-6, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6).

Meanwhile, in the one further Men’s Singles quarter-final encounter, Lee Sangsu continued his good form; the no.4 seed, he beat Iran’s Nima Alamian (9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7), the player who had won the regional group and earlier in the day had caused a major upset by overcoming Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the no.7 seed, in the challenge round.

Played later today, at the semi-final stage, Jeong Sangeun meets Lin Gaoyuan; Fan Zhendong opposes Lee Sangsu.