by Ian Marshall, Editor
Defeat for one seeded pairing, they were not alone.
Notably, the hopes of the host nation came to an end. Hana Matelova in partnership with Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova, a pair now well-established on the international scene, having earlier in the year been silver medallists at the ITTF Challenge Polish Open, experienced defeat. The no.4 seeds, they were beaten by China’s Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui (11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7), the runners up some four days ago in Bulgaria.
Defeat for Barbora Balazova and Hana Matelova, likewise there were defeats for Hungary’s Dora Madarasz and Szandra Pergel, the no.5 seeds, as there were for Poland’s Katarzyna-Grzybowska-Franc and Natalia Partyka, the no.6 seeds.
Dora Madarasz and Szandra Pergel lost to the defensive combination formed by Li Jie of the Netherlands and Li Qian, also from Poland (11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 11-7); Katarzyna-Grzybowska-Franc and Natalia Partyka suffered against Luxembourg’s Satah de Nutte and Slovenia’s Alex Galic (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6).
Otherwise it was success for seeded pairings as Japanese duos asserted their authority. Hina Hayata and Miu Hirano, the top seeds, beat Russia’s Yana Noskova and Austria’s Sofia Polcanova (12-10, 11-4, 11-9); Kasumi Ishikawa and Mima Ito, the no.2 seeds, ended the hopes of the French combination comprising Oceane Guisnel and Stéphanie Loueillette (11-6, 14-12, 11-2).
Similarly, China’s Chen Ke and Wang Yidi, the no.7 seeds, beat Germany’s Petrissa Solja and Sabine Winter, the 2013 European champions (11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6); Romania’s Elizabeta Samara and Bernadette Szocs, the no.8 seeds, ended the hopes of Sweden’s Filippa Bergand and Linda Bergström (11-8, 11-7, 11-3).
In the round of the last eight pairs; in the top half of the draw Hina Hayata and Miu Hirano meet Chen Ke and Wang Yidi; Sarah de Nutte and Alex Galic oppose Sun Jiayi and Zeng Jian. Meanwhile, in the lower half of the draw Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui face Li Jie and Li Qian; Elizabeta Samara and Bernadette Szocs confront Kasumi Ishikawa and Mima Ito.
Both the quarter and semi-finals will be played on Friday 24th August.
