by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

In a hard fought six games contest, the no.25 seed, she overcame Zhang Wenjing (7-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5), after Laura Gasnier, the no.17 seed, had lost to Lee Ka Yee (10-12, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7) and Stéphanie Loueillette, the no.14 seed, had been beaten by Liu Qi (11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7).

Mixed fortunes for Hong Kong but on the whole the balance for the Special Administrative Region of China was positive, as play commenced in the Women’s Singles event; pride of place going to Lam Yee Lok. The 21 year old qualifier caused the biggest upset of the round to date. She accounted for Korea’s Lee Zion, the no.9 seed (11-4, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3).

Defeat for Korea and to some extent, like Hong Kong, it was differing fortunes.

Shin Yubin, the no.29 seed, lost to China’s Yu Yifan (11-9, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 13-15, 13-11); conversely Kang Eunji accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Wen, the no.18 seed (4-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5), Kim Mingyung ousted India’s Ayhika Mukherjee, the no.28 seed (11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9).

Problems for notable names but not for the most notable of all with China’s Liu Shiwen and Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut, alongside the Japanese duo of Saki Shibata and Maki Shiomi, all negotiating the opening round with a degree of style.

Liu Shiwen, the top seed and Saki Shibata, the no.4 seed, both beat Chinese Taipei adversaries. Liu Shiwen overcame Lin Po-Hsuan (11-9, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4), Saki Shibata, accounted for Su Pei-Ling (11-8, 11-8, 11-1, 11-5).

Likewise, Maki Shiomi, the no.6 seed and Suthasini Sawettabut, the no.8 seed, defeated Chinese opponents. Maki Shiomi proved too strong for China’s Hu Yueyan (10-12, 12-10, 16-14, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4); Suthasini Sawettabut ended the hopes of Yang Sheng (11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6).

Play in the second round takes place later in the day.