by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
It was agony for the most prominent names on day one duty, none more so than for Puerto Rico’s Melanie Diaz, the no.8 seed; she was beaten in a full distance seven games encounter by Wang Xinyue, the no.15 seed (11-7, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 11-8), who then secured her place in the main draw by overcoming Canada’s Alicia Côté, the no.11 seed (16-14, 15-13, 11-5, 11-7).
Equally, there was a close call for Camila Arguelles, the no.13 seed. After causing a major upset by beating Colombia’s Paula Medina, the no.6 seed (8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3, 11-7), she needed the full seven games to overcome El Salvador’s Estefania Ramirios, the no.12 seed (11-7, 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9).
Narrow margins; for Yadira Silva, the no.10 seed and for Caroline Kumahara, the no.9 seed, life was less fraught. Yadira Silva beat the host nation’s Lucero Ovelar, the no.16 seed (9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8), followed by success against Chile’s Daniela Ortega, the no.5 seed (11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9). Similarly in some style, Caroline Kumahara accounted for El Salvador’s Emme Arias, the no.14 seed (11-5, 11-3, 11-4, 11-8) and Argentina’s Ana Codina, the no.7 seed (12-10, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8).
At the quarter-final stage in the top half of the draw it is Wang Xinyue versus Canada’s Zhang Mo, the top seed; Camila Arguelles in opposition to Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, the no.4 seed. In the opposite half of the draw, Yadira Silva faces Chile’s Paulina Vega, the no.3 seed, Caroline Kumahara confronts Wu Yue of the United States, the no.2 seed.
The quarter and semi-finals will be played on Saturday 16th June; the final and bronze medal match on Sunday 17th June.
