Lebesson and Yuan crowned mixed doubles champions!!!
Mixed Doubles: Final
The lower seeded of the two French pairs facing off in the final, Emmanuel Lebesson and Yuan Jia Nan have been crowned mixed doubles champions in Lisbon after storming past the second seeded pair of Tristan Flore and Emmanuel Lebesson in straight games (12-10, 11-7, 11-3).
Local hero makes penultimate round
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Joao Geraldo is very much enjoying a successful outing on home soil with the 24-year-old Portuguese star progressing to the men’s singles semi-final following his powerful 4-0 display against Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin (11-8, 11-7, 16-14, 11-8).
Also gaining entry to the last four is Germany’s Qiu Dang, who emerged victorious in a fierce battle against Englishman Paul Drinkhall (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9).
Cheng Hsien-Tzu marches on
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Outperforming expectations in Lisbon, 13th seeded Cheng Hsien-Tzu has just beaten no.6 seed Suthasini Sawettabut across six games (11-8, 12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 1-11, 11-6) to move through to the semi-finals of the women’s singles competition.
The other contest in the 7.20pm session saw Japan’s Saki Shibata overcome German penhold grip specialist Shan Xiaona 4-1 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6).
Anders Lind steals the show!
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
What a shock! Seeded 24th in the men’s singles race, Denmark’s Anders Lind is through to the semi-finals after putting out no.3 seed Emmanuel Lebesson by a devastating 4-0 score-line here in Lisbon (13-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5).
Over on table 2, Yevhen Pryshchepa also needed just four games to secure his spot in the last four at the expense of Yaroslav Zhmudenko (11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6) in an all-Ukraine affair.
Slow start but Kasumi Ishikawa gets the job done
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Trailing Britt Eerland by a 0-1 deficit top seed Kasumi Ishikawa produced a fine response to turn the match around, beating her Dutch counterpart 4-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 13-11, 13-11).
Next up for Ishikawa is a semi-final meeting with fellow Japanese player Miyu Kato, who powered to a 4-0 win over Thailand’s Nanthana Komwong (11-3, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8) in their encounter.
Home fans celebrate
Men’s Doubles: Semi-Finals
There’s some good news for local fans in Lisbon with Portugal’s very own Diogo Carvalho and Joao Geraldo securing their spot in the men’s doubles final following a resounding 3-0 victory over second seeds Nandor Ecseki and Tomas Polansky (13-11, 11-9, 11-8).
The other semi-final saw Korea Republic qualifiers Baek Kwangil and Park Chan-Hyeok come out on top against fourth seeded Aleksandar Karakasevic and Lubomir Pistej (11-5, 11-13, 11-9, 11-6).
Odo and Shibata battle past Japanese colleagues
Women’s Doubles: Semi-Finals
Seeded one position below their fellow Japanese compatriots, Satsuki Odo and Saki Shibata needed less than 19 minutes to get the better of second seeds Honoka Hashimoto and Hitomi Sato in the penultimate round of women’s doubles action (11-9, 11-2, 11-6).
Awaiting Odo and Shibata at the final hurdle is the Thai pair of Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawettabut after the no.4 seeds fought back from 0-1 down to defeat Puerto Rico’s Adriana and Melanie Diaz (13-15, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7).
All-French final confirmed
Mixed Doubles: Semi-Finals
The two mixed doubles semi-final encounters have both resulted in French victories, sealing a gold medal finish for the country a round early.
Second seeds Tristan Flore and Laura Gasnier came through a straightforward contest against Thailand’s Padasak Tanviriyavechakul and Suthasini Sawettabut in straight games (11-8, 11-8, 11-6). Emmanuel Lebesson and Yuan Jia Nan were the other successful pair, beating Serbian third seeds Aleksandar Karakasevic and Izabela Lupulesku 3-1 (11-4, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7).
Paul Drinkhall comes through seven-game thriller
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Pushed right down to the wire, England’s Paul Drinkhall has booked his spot in the men’s singles quarter-finals following a tense seven-game affair against Italian opponent Mihai Bobocica (11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 8-11, 11-9).
Denmark’s Anders Lind and Germany’s Qiu Dang also negotiated their respective fixtures by 4-3 score-lines while Portugal’s Joao Geraldo needed just five games to see off Benedek Olah (15-13, 12-10, 4-11, 11-8, 11-2).
Shock or not?
Ukraine players star as top seed departs!
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Top seed Omar Assar is out of the men’s singles tournament in Lisbon after suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Yaroslav Zhmudenko (11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9). Zhmudenko’s fellow countryman Yevhen Pryshchepa also emerged victorious in his meeting with the host nation’s Tiago Apolonia (7-11, 11-6, 11-4, 14-16, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9).
“I feel good, I played well. I played against Omar many times before and I think he played a little bit softer (this time). It was very hard, I had to fight unbelievably hard, and at 3-3, 2-6 he had a good chance but he didn’t play aggressively enough. So, I played some very good balls and won the match. I feel very happy to win.” Yaroslav Zhmudenko
Uda exits, Lebesson wins domestic
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Yukiya Uda, the uprising star from Japan was duly eliminated from the competition in Lisbon by the very impressive Feng Yi-Hsin from Chinese Taipei. Winning 4-1 (11-6, 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6), he gave Uda no room to work with and exploited every rally with aplomb.
Emmanuel Lebesson meanwhile had to face his French teammate Can Akkuzu in a fierce battle that Lebesson edged 4-1 (12-10, 15-17, 11-3, 11-9, 11-4). Despite the scoreline and match lasting less than 22 minutes, neither player looked like losing intensity throughout.
Shan shocks Sato
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Xiaona Shan has had her fans erupt in joy as she beat Japan’s Hitomi Sato in straight games (11-5, 11-9, 11-1, 11-5) in a quite extraordinary performance by the German. Needing less than 34 minutes, her backhand strokes were too good for Sato and take Shan to the quarter-finals.
But the story of the session went to Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut who was involved in a thrilling match against Slovakia veteran Barbora Balazova, and managed to win 4-3 (7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-2, 11-7) against all odds.
Kato and Eerland progress
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Miyu Kato saw off the challenge of France’s Laura Gasnier – who has looked to be in fine form here in Lisbon. Winning 4-0 (11-2, 12-10, 13-11, 11-7), Kato displayed a lot of calm under pressure from Gasnier’s initial strong service and found a way past her defence.
For India’s Manika Batra, it was to be a stretch too far against Netherlands’ Britt Eerland, who defeated her in straight games (11-5, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10) and in under 34 minutes.
Serbian pair roll on
Men’s Doubles: Quarter-finals
Aleksandar Karakasevic with Lubomir Pistej have continued with their strong run of form in Lisbon, as they beat Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin with Li Hsin-Yang in straight games and in under 13 minutes to reach the semi-finals (11-6, 11-1, 11-9).
Meanwhile the host’s Joao Geraldo with Diogo Carvalho also moved on to the final four, beating Russia’s Sadi Ismailov with Denis Ivonin 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7).
Odo/Shibata shine
Women’s Doubles: Round of 16
Japan’s Satsuki Odo with Saki Shibata were in fine touch as their barrage of forehands accounted for the Spanish duo of Galia Dvorak with Sofia-Xuan Zhang in a 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 11-4, 11-3) win.
Sadly, it was to be a session of two withdrawals, as Russians Yana Noskova with Olga Vorobeva and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu with Cheng Hsien-Tzu dropped out giving Thailand’s Orawan Paranang with Suthasini Sawettabut, and Puerto Ricans Adriana Diaz with Melanie Diaz quarter-final berths.
Early morning surprise for Brazilians
Mixed Doubles: Quarter-finals
Bruna Takahashi with Vitor Ishiy were eliminated in a surprise turn of events as Serbians Aleksandar Karakasevic with Izabela Lupulesku turned up with a string show of force to win the match 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-3).
Over at table 3, France’s Tristian Flore with Laura Gasnier continued their fine run as they saw off Italians Niagol Stoyanov with Giorgia Piccolin in straight games (11-3, 11-9, 12-10) to reach the semi-finals.
