by Ian Marshall, Editor

The pairs to upset the order of merit were the Chinese combinations that had contested the final five days earlier in Stockholm, when Chen Xingtong and Sun Yingsha had beaten Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui.

In Linz, Chen Xingtong and Sun Yingsha, the no.5 seeds, accounted for Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching, the no.3 seeds (11-6, 11-2, 11-9); required to compete in the two day qualification tournament, Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui overcame the partnership form by Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova and the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova (11-6, 11-8, 11-9).

Defeats for the higher rated pairs; in the corresponding quarter-final contests, the outcomes were as ranking advised. Japan’s Hina Hayata and Mima Ito, the top seeds, accounted for Poland’s Katarzyna Grzyboswska-Franc and Natalia Partyka (11-6, 11-9, 11-8); Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun, the no.2 seeds, prevailed in opposition to Romania’s Elizabeta Samara and Bernadette Szocs (11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-2).

Defeat for Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching but it does mean they will qualify for the Grand Finals having started the tournament in the no.7 spot (307 points).

Alas for Katarzyna Grzyboswska-Franc and Natalia Partyka, Elizabeta Samara and Bernadette Szocs, as well as for Barbora Balazova and Hana Matelova, any slim hopes they may have harboured at the start of the day for a place in Incheon are now over.

The semi-finals of the Women’s Doubles event will be played later in the day.

Sunday 4th November: Standings following the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open