by Ian Marshall, Editor
All concluded the initial stage of play unbeaten, more significantly all overcame the leading name in their respective groups to secure top spot and thus reserved main draw places in a competition where only first position ensured progress.
Payas Jain, accounted for Belgium’s Adrien Rassenfosse (11-13, 11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6); Chile’s Nicolas Burgos beat Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yan-Cheng (11-6, 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8), Tomas Martinko ended the hopes of New Zealand’s Nathan Xu (11-6, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9). Not to be outdone Maciej Kubik prevailed in opposition to India’s Raegan Albuquerque (11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-3).
Worthy efforts
Notable performances, in the girls’ singles group stage, it was the same from Elena Zaharia who beat Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee (11-9, 11-8, 11-6, 22-20), as it was from Chinese Taipei’s Lee Wan-Hsuan who defeated Germany’s Franziska Schreiner (12-14, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8, 11-9).
Surprise first places in the boys’ singles event, there was one more; Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting, who the previous day had beaten Germany’s Kay Stumper, the leading name on qualification stage duty (13-15, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2, 7-11, 5-11, 11-9), continued his good form. He overcame Chile’s Sebastian Gonzalez (11-2, 12-10, 11-8, 11-4) to reserve his main draw place.
Overall four surprise first places, in the girls’ singles first stage the number was much greater; no less than 10 groups realised unexpected outcomes. Having the previous day all upset the pecking order by beating the top name in the group, Crystal Wang of the United States, Camille Lutz of France and Poland’s Aleksandra Michalak alongside Japan’s Kyoka Idesawa and Hong Kong’s Fung Wai Chu all ended matters unbeaten.
Similarly, the DPR Korea trio comprising Kim Kum Yong, Kim Un Song and Pyon Song Gyong completed their matches with defeat.
Medallists known
The main draw decided in the boys’ singles and girls’ singles events, in the mixed doubles the medallists are known; the quarter-finalists decided two days earlier, in the round of the last eight pairs, China emerged very much to the fore.
Xu Yingbin and Shi Xunyao beat Korea Republic’s Park Gyeongtae and Choi Haeeun (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5), Liu Yebo and Wu Yanchen prevailed against Russia’s Lev Katsman and Elizabet Abraamian (11-5, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5). Likewise, Xiang Peng and Kuai Man accounted for Japan’s Hiroto Shinozuka and Kyoka Idesawa succeeding in a titanic deciding fifth game (11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 18-16).
Defeat for Japan in a full distance contest, to balance the scales there was success; Yukiya Uda and Miyuu Kihara overcame Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin and Cai Fong-En (11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5).
At the semi-final stage Xu Yingbin and Shi Xunyao meet Liu Yebo and Wu Yangchen; Xiang Peng and Kuai Man oppose Yukiya Uda and Miyuu Kihara.
China on course
More medals destined for China after having won the boys’ and girls’ team titles; in both the boys’ doubles and girls’ doubles events they are very much on course as play progressed to the quarter-finals.
In the boys’ doubles Xiang Peng and Zeng Beixun, the no.4 seeds, booked their last eight place courtesy of success against Sweden’s Martin Friis and Truls Moregard (11-7, 12-10, 12-10); Liu Yebo and Xu Yingbin, the no.10 seeds, ousted Japan’s Shinosuke Togami and Yukiya Uda (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6).
Also, in the girls’ doubles, Chen Yi and Wu Yangchen, the top seeds, beat Nigeria’s Iyanu Falana and Vivien Oku (11-3, 11-2, 12-10) to reach the quarter-final round; a feat emulated by Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao. The no.2 seed, they ousted Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian and Anastasia Kolish (11-4, 14-12, 11-3) to keep medal hopes alive.
Minor suprises
Success very much as anticipated. It was very much the situation as play progressed; the surprise names to reach the last eight, like Liu Yebo and Xu Yingbin, proved no surprise at all. In the boys’ doubles, in the third round Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko and Artem Tikhonov, the no.13 seeds, overcame Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yan-Cheng and Huang Yu-Jen, the no.8 seeds.
Meanwhile in the girls’ doubles, in the same round Hong Kong’s the no.9 seeds, beat India’s Manushree Patil and Prapti Sen, the no.20 seeds (11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5) the second round winners in opposition to Italy’s Jamila Laurenti and Gaia Monfardina, the no.8 seeds (11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9).
Likewise, the French pairing of Camille Lutz and Prithika Pavade, the no.11 seeds, recorded a third round win against Poland’s Aleksandra Michalak and Ilona Sztwiertnia, the no.32 seeds (11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5) the second round winners in opposition to India’s Diya Parag Chitale and Swastika Ghosh, the no.7 seeds (8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7).
Not be upstaged, DPR Korea’s Kim Kum Yong and Pyon Song Gyong, the no.30 seeds, reserved their last eight place contrary tostatistical evidence, they recorded a third round win against Chinese Taipei’s Chien Tung-Chuan and Yu Hsiu-Ting, the no.4 seeds (11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6).
Progress for leading pairs
Otherwise, for the leading pairs it was progress to the quarter-finals. In the boys’ doubles, Russia’s Maksim Grebnev and Lev Katsman, the top seeds and runners up last year in Bendigo duly progressed as did the French combination of Lilian Bardet and Vincent Picard, the no.2 seeds.
In a similar vein, Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin and Tai Ming-Wei, the no.3 seeds, progressed to the last eight; a feat also achieved by Poland’s Maciej Kubik and Samuel Kulczycki, the no.6 seeds, alongside the Singaporean combination of Josh Chua Shao Han and Pang Ywe En Koen, the no.7 seeds.
Imposing performances; in the girls’ doubles, there were also quarter-final places for Poland’s Anna Wegrzyn and Katarzyna Wegrzyn, the no.3 seeds, Japan’s Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki as well as for the United States duo of Amy Wang and Crystal Wang, the no.6 seeds.
Two days remain, on Saturday 30th November, the penultimate day of action, the semi-finalists in both the boys’ singles and girls’ singles events as well as the boys’ doubles and girls’ doubles will be known as well as the mixed doubles finalists.
