by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
Singapore’s Tan En Hui and India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee, the top two names on qualification stage duty, both suffered.
Tan En Hui, after beating Tiffany Ke of the United States (11-3, 11-9, 11-4, 3-11, 20-18), lost to Korea’s Lee Sooyeon (11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10); for Sutirtha Mukherjee, it was defeat at the hands of Korea’s Park Chaewon (11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7) and later when facing Hong Kong’s Zhang Wenjing (10-12, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3).
Thus for Sutirtha Mukherjee it is the end of the road, for Park Chaewon and Zhang Wenjing main draw places are assured.
Players finishing in first and second positions in each of the 16 groups join the 32 seeds in the main draw. Meanwhile, for Tan En Lui, she can anticipate progress; Tiffany Ke and Lee Sooyeon meet in the concluding match in the group.
Disappointment for Sutirtha Mukherjee; it is the same situation for the host nation’s Jinnipa Sawettabut and Singapore’s Wong Xin Ru. Both started the day as the highest listed in their respective groups; both ended the day without either having a win against their name.
Jinnipa Sawettabut was beaten by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Po-Hsuan (8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-13, 6-11, 11-9) and by Korea’s Kang Eunji (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8). Likewise, Wong Xin Ru experienced defeat at the hands of Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee (11-2, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4), before losing to India’s Selena Selvakumar (11-6, 4-11, 8-11, 11-4, 20-18, 11-8).
Kang Eunji and Lin Po-Hsuan are set for main draw places; Lee Ka Yee, who also beat Korea’s Kim Jinhye (11-9, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7), is set fair but who will join her in the knock-out stage is open to question. In the opening match in the group Kim Jinhye beat Selena Selvakumar (11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9); in the concluding contests Selena Selvakumar meets Lee Ka Yee, Wong Xin Ru faces Kim Jinhye.
The door is still open for Wong Xin Rui but only just; for the remaining players who started the day as the leading names in their respective groups, there is more daylight. One win and one defeat was the order of the day; the players to cause the upsets being Korea’s Kim Mingyung and Japan’s Haruna Ojio in addition to Chinese Taipei’s Fang Sih-Han and Lee En-Chi. Not to be left out, the Chinese duo of Zuo Yue and Yang Sheng joined the party.
Fang Sih-Han beat Hong Kong’s Lam Yee Lok (11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 6-11, 11-4), Kim Mingyung overcame colleague Kim Haeun (11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5). Similarly, Zuo Yue accounted for Hungary’s Leonie Hartbricht (3-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-1, 3-11, 11-6), Lee En-Chi defeated Sim Hyunju, like Kim Haeun from Korea (7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8).
Also, adding to the occasion, Haruna Ojio overcame Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling (11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9); Yang Sheng defeated Russia’s Elena Troshneva (11-8, 11-1, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9).
Play in the Women’s Singles qualification tournament concludes on Thursday 17th May.
