by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Similarly, Zhu Linfeng and Zhou Qihao are players who do not possess a current world ranking; Zhu Linfeng beat colleague Zhou Kai, listed at no.376 (2-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-3); Zhou Qihao overcame Japan’s Yuki Hirano, named at no.222 (11-9, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9).

Meanwhile, Jon Persson who at the recent Liebherr 2018 World Team Championships in Halmstad had been crucial to Sweden’s bronze medal success, accounted for Germany’s Ricardo Walther (10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8); Yukiya Uda ended the hopes of Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck (11-9, 11-8, 13-11, 6-11, 7-11, 13-11).

Currently on the Men’s World Rankings, Jon Persson is listed at no.68 as opposed to Ricardo Walther at no.45; Yukiya Uda stands at no.151, Cédric Nuytinck at no.47.

Notable performances and there were others, although according to ranking they were as expected, they attracted the attention with former ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles finalists experiencing defeats.

Korea’s Lim Jonghoon beat China’s Zhou Yu (11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12, 13-11), Germany’s Benedikt Duda accounted for Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan (11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8). Most pertinently for the host association, Jiang Tianyi ended the progress of Canada’s Hou Yingchao (11-6, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5).

The first round of the Men’s Singles event will be played in entirety on Thursday 24th May.