by Ian Marshall, Editor
Interlopers in the men’s singles event were Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Frenchman Simon Gauzy; for the women, Japan’s Mima Ito.
Men’s Singles
…………China’s Zhao Zihao booked his place in his first ever ITTF World Tour men’s singles quarter-final; he beat Korea Republic’s Jang Woojin, the no.10 seed (11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-2).
………..Wang Chuqin repeated the success enjoyed in the gold medal contest at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, he accounted for Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, the no.4 seed (11-5, 11-4, 12-10, 11-4).
…………Xu Xin, the top seed, asserted his authority; he beat Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu (11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3).
…………Fan Zhendong, the no.2 seed, overcame Japan’s Jun Mizutani (11-9, 11-8, 11-6, 14-12) to secure his quarter-final place.
…………Lin Gaoyuan, the no.3 seed, accounted for Germany’s Patrick Franziska, the no.11 seed (11-4, 11-5, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5).
…………Simon Gauzy upset the order, the no.15 seed, he overcame Japan’s Koki Niwa, the no.7 seed (11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8).
…………Dimitrij Ovtcharov was in determined mood, the no.8 seed, he beat Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting, the no.12 seed (11-3, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4).
Women’s Singles
…………Qian Tianyi, the reigning world junior champion reserved her quarter-final place; she beat Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki, likewise a qualifier, in straight games (11-5, 11-3, 11-4, 11-8).
…………Liu Fei continued to exert her elegant defensive skills to good effect; she beat colleague and fellow qualifier, Gu Yuting (11-4, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9).
…………Chen Meng, the top seed, accounted for colleague, Wang Yidi (11-7, 11-5, 13-15, 11-7, 12-10).
…………Ding Ning, the no.2 seed, followed suit; she overcame Cheng I-Ching, the no.10 seed (11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7).
…………Wang Manyu, the no.4 seed, ended European hopes, she overcame Monaco’s Yang Xaoxin (11-8, 11-2, 14-12, 11-4).
………..Mima Ito, the no.7 seed, beat colleague, Miu Hirano, the no.9 seed (11-8, 12-14, 7-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8) to keep her title retention hopes alive.
Men’s Doubles
…………An all Chinese final: Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan face Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin.
…………Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan, the no.2 seeds, beat the Czech Republic’s Lubomir Jancarik and Tomas Polansky (11-9, 11-3, 11-3), followed by success against Hungary’s Nandor Ecseki and Adam Szudi, the no.5 seeds (9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7).
…………Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, the no.3 seeds, accounted for Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko and Kirill Skachkov (11-9, 11-6, 11-9), before ending the adventures of the combination formed by Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck (11-9, 11-6, 11-7).
Women’s Doubles
…………China’s Chen Meng and Ding Ning confront Japan’s Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa in the final.
…………Not seeded Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa emerged somewhat surprise finalists; after accounting for Portugal’s Shao Jieni and Fu Yu (11-4, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6), they overcame Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching, the no.4 seeds (11-6, 11-2, 11-8).
…………A hard fought success against colleagues Sun Yngsha and Wang Manyu, the top seeds (10-12, 12-10, 11-8, 11-3), Chen Meng and Ding Ning, the no.5 seeds, beat Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun, the no.3 seeds (11-7, 11-9, 11-3).
Mixed Doubles
…………In the final Japan’s Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito meet China’s Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen.
…………At the quarter-final stage Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen, the no.2 seeds, beat Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata (11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5), prior to overcoming Hungary’s Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel (8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6).
…………Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito, the no.3 seeds, beat Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Natalia Partyka (11-2, 11-6, 11-4), followed by success in opposition to China’s Lin Gaoyuan and Wang Manyu (11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9).
