by Ian Marshall, Editor

Moreover, he faces an opponent with a very similar style, likewise left handed, Lin Gaoyuan revels in fast attacking play and similar to his 17 year old opponent, he possesses a delicate feeling for the table tennis ball.

In the same half of the draw, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, the no.3 seed, opposes Sweden’s Mattias Falck, the no.12 seed, their first ever meeting on international soil. Tomokazu Harimoto starts the favourite but Mattias Falck is back to the form which saw him reach the semi-final stage last November on home soil at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Swedish Open. Six days ago he was the runner up at Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open.

Notably, in the opposite half of draw, China holds the favourite’s tag. Xu Xin, the top seed, meets Germany’s Patrick Franziska, the no.14 seed; Ma Long, the no.11 seed, opposes Japan’s Jun Mizutani, the no.9 seed.

Semi-finalists decided; in the women’s singles event, an all Chinese penultimate line-up is assured, Ding Ning and Wang Manyu having already reserved their semi-final places on the second day of play. Defending champion, Liu Shiwen, the only seeded player to progress in the lower half of the draw; the no.3 seed, she meets Wang Yidi; in the adjacent quarter Sun Yingsha faces He Zhuojia.

The last four names known; in the doubles events the champions will be crowned. In the men’s doubles final there is a major opportunity for Germany, Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska meet Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, the no.3 seeds.

Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles, Ding Ning and Wang Yidi face Chinese colleagues, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the no.3 seeds; in the mixed doubles, also from China, Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen, the no.5 seeds, oppose the reigning Japanese national champions, Masataka Morizono and Mima Ito, the no.4 seeds.

Titles decided, the semi-finalists in the women’s singles event known, the men’s singles finalists will also be determined; play concludes with the men’s singles penultimate round contests.