Tomislav Pucar delights home supporters
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Tomislav Pucar, ever more the Croatian hero, delighted the home supporters at the quarter-final stage of the men’s singles event; the no.9 seed, he beat Russia’s Kirill Skachkov, the no.13 seed, in four straight games (11-5, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5).
“He had no solutions to my service, so it was a great advantage, things came good at just the right time for me.” Tomislav Pucar.
He now meets Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson in the semi-finals; the no.2 seed, he was in equally scintillating form in his round of last eight duel. He accounted for Germany’s Benedikt Duda, the no.6 seed, in a most efficient manner (11-7, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6).
“In a semi-final I will play Karlsson; listen, with Benedikt Duda I have a score 0-10 and with Karlsson 0-3. So, Karlsson is probably less evil for me. I have never won against Karlsson. We played in Germany recently, I never reached the fifth game but we’ll see. I have more experience now than before, I know how to play and for the first time in this tournament, I’m not the favourite. I will do my best to disrupt Karlsson’s plans.” Tomislav Pucar.
Chuang Chih-Yuan and Anton Källberg book semi-final places
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan and Sweden’s Anton Källberg will meet in the semi-finals of the men’s singles event.
At the quarter-final stage, Chuang Chih-Yuan, the top seed, ended the journey of Japanese qualifier, Shunsuke Togami (5-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6); by the very narrowest of margins, Anton Källberg, the no.32 seed, accounted for Belgium’s Robin Devos, the no.22 seed (5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 7-11, 12-10).
Title destined for Japan
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Satsuki Odo, the no.14 seed, ended the adventures of Korea Republic’s 14 year old Shin Yubin (10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5); thus guaranteeing the title will finish Japanese hands.
At the semi-final stage she meets Miyu Kato; in the opposite half of the draw Miyu Nagasaki opposes Miyuu Kihara.
New name set for roll of honour
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
The defending champion, Japan’s Saki Shibata, the no.2 seed, suffered a quarter-final women’s singles defeat at the hands of colleague, Miyu Kato, the no.5 seed (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4).
Thus with defeats one day earlier for colleague Honoka Hashimoto and Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin, it means a new name will be added to the Croatian roll of honour.
Teenagers excel
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Miyu Nagasaki, 16 year old and Miyuu Kihara, 14 years of age booked their places in the semi-finals of the women’s singles event; both gave most impressive performances.
Pride of place went to Miyuu Kihara, the no.19 seed, she caused a major upset by beating Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the no.7 seed (13-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10); the success coming at the same time as Miyu Nagasaki, the no.18 seed, ended the progress of qualifier Haruna Ojio (11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4).
Surprise finalists
Men’s Doubles: Semi-Final
Required to qualify, Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and Yukiya Uda continued to upset the odds, contrary to expectations they booked their place in the men’s doubles final.
In the penultimate round they ousted Germany’s Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang, the no.4 seeds (7-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-7).
Status justified
Men’s Doubles: Semi-Final
Belgium’s Martin Allegro and Florent Lambiet justified their top seeded position in the men’s doubles event; they reserved their place in the final but experienced exacting moments.
They needed to full five games to end the hopes of Sweden’s Anton Källberg and Truls Moregard, the no.7 seeds (11-7, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5).
Slovenia revisited
Women’s Doubles: Semi-Final
Success in the final of the women’s doubles event five days earlier in Slovenia; in the penultimate round in Zagreb, Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki repeated the feat.
The no.5 seeds, once again they beat Japanese colleagues Satsuki Odo and Saki Shibata, the no.2 seeds (11-8, 14-12, 10-12, 17-15).
Three in succession, ambitions alive
Women’s Doubles: Semi-Final
The hopes harboured by Japan’s Honoka Hashimoto and Hitomi Sato and of winning the Croatian women’s doubles title for a third consecutive year remain alive but only just.
In the penultimate round, the top seeds, they were stretched to the very limit by the combination of Norway’s Ma Wenting and Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the no.4 seeds, only emerging successful by the very narrowest of margins in a quite dramatic decider (4-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-3, 12-10).
Kristian Karlsson and Benedikt Duda justify seeding
Men’s Singles: Round Three
Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson and Germany’s Benedikt Duda justified their seeding.
Impressive performances, Kristian Karlsson, the no.2 seed, beat Frenchman Can Akkuzu, the no.11 seed (6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8); Benedikt Duda, the no.6 seed, overcame Japan’s Yukiya Uda, the no.21 seed (11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6).
Tomislav Pucar keeps Croatian hopes alive
Men’s Singles: Round Three
The host nation’s Tomislav Pucar, the no.9 seed, recorded a third round win against Japanese qualifier Takuya Jin (11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 11-3, 13-11) to keep Croatian hopes alive.
Likewise, Kirill Skachkov promoted the Russian cause; the no.13 seed, he ousted Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, the no.5 seed (11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 6-11, 14-12, 11-6).
Seeding upsets
Men’s Singles: Round Three
Lower ranked players succeeded as the top half of the draw in the third round of the men’s singles event as colleagues met
Qualifier Shunsuke Togami beat Japanese compatriot Masataka Morizono, the no.7 seed (6-11, 14-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5), Robin Devos, the no.22 seed, ended the hopes of Belgian teammate Florent Lambiet, the 18 seed (11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 7-11, 11-5).
Not to be left out, Sweden’s Anton Källberg, the no.32 seed, ousted Kanak Jha of the United States, the no.3 seed (11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8).
Run ends
Men’s Singles: Round Three
A total of 10 matches without defeat since Wednesday 8th May when he started his quest for honours in Slovenia, the run experienced by Croatia’s Wei Shihao came to a close but only just.
He was beaten in the third round of the men’s singles event in Zagreb by Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the top seed (5-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-3, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8).
Host nation hopes fade
Women’s Singles: Round Three
Croatia is officially out of the picture in the women’s singles event with no.32 seed Sun Jiayi suffering defeat at the hands of Japanese no.5 seed Miyu Kato (5-11, 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7).
Second seed Saki Shibata was the other player to progress from the last 16 following her 4-2 win against Thai qualifier Nanthana Komwong (11-3, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6).
Korean qualifier recovers
Women’s Singles: Round Three
Down by a 1-2 deficit but Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin, unseeded, produced a fantastic recovery display to knock the no.18 seed from Ukraine, Tetyana Bilenko out of the competition 4-2 (8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9). Awaiting the Korean qualifier in the next round is Japan’s Satsuki Odo, who achieved a mighty upset with her elimination of no.4 seed Elizabeta Samara (11-6, 14-12, 4-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8).
Ninth seed exits
Women’s Singles: Round Three
Wu Yue has missed out on the opportunity to lead USA to the last eight of the women’s singles draw in Zagreb with the no.9 seeded player falling to Japanese qualifier Haruna Ojio in a tight match (8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 13-11, 16-14).
Two further Japanese competitors picked up victories as Miyu Nagasaki and Miyuu Kihara beat Austria’s Amelie Solja (11-6, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7) and Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling (11-9, 11-8, 13-11, 11-4).
Adriana Diaz shows her class
Women’s Singles: Round Three
Showing great class throughout Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz has successfully negotiated her women’s singles third round encounter with Japan’s Maki Shiomi, requiring just four games to get the job done (11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4).
Swedish duo earn impressive win
Men’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals
Sweden’s Anton Källberg and Truls Moregard are through to the penultimate round of the men’s doubles draw after they secured an impressive win against Polish no.3 seeds Marek Bodowski and Patryk Zatowka (11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5).
Rounding out the list of semi-finalists is the German pair of Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang with the no.4 seeds recovering from a game down to defeat Japan’s Hibiki Tazoe and Kenta Tazoe (7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10).
Top seeds sail through
Men’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals
The top seeded Belgian duo of Martin Allegro and Florent Lambiet have extended their stay in the men’s doubles competition, coming through their quarter-finals contest against Argentina’s Gaston Alto and Horacio Cifuentes by a 3-1 margin (11-9, 7-11, 11-2, 11-6).
However, second seeds Eric Jouti and Gustavo Tsuboi are out with Japanese qualifiers Shunsuke Togami and Yukiya Uda seeing off the Brazilians in straight games (12-10, 11-8, 12-10).
European hopes still alive
Women’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals
Despite a dominant round for Japan there is still a glimmer of hope for the European continent with Norway’s Ma Wenting and Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, seeded fourth, beating Japanese opposition in Haruna Ojio and Yumeno Soma (12-10, 11-3, 11-9).
Japanese pairs shine
Women’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals
Three partnerships representing Japan are through to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles event in Zagreb including top seeds Honoka Hashimoto and Hitomi Sato, who needed just three games to beat Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsin and Huang Yu-Chiao (11-7, 11-7, 13-11).
Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki are through following a 3-1 victory over the third seeded pair of Romania’s Adina Diaconu and USA’s Wu Yue (11-5, 8-11, 11-2, 11-3) while Satsuki Odo and Saki Shibata also progressed.
Day Two in Zagreb
The Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Croatia Open continues with Day Two of main draw action in Zagreb – take a detailed look at the day’s schedule below:
