Falck wins a thriller!
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Well, now that is how you end the day of play! Mattias Falck and Simon Gauzy have played out an hour long seven-game thriller which is bound to be one of the best matches ever played at the ITTF Finals!
After being 0-2 down, Gauzy came hurtling back into the match and levelled the score – and took the lead 3-2! But it was not to be the end for Falck, who responded with vigor and strength of character to take it to the decider and win the match 4-3 (11-4, 11-9, 5-11, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7)!
Not yet, says Gauzy!
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Wow, what a strong statement from Simon Gauzy! The French athlete has levelled the scores after a delightful display in patience at the table.
Winning two games back to back (11-5, 11-7), the momentum of the match has clearly shifted! What will Falck do now?
Falck heading to quarters?
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Sweden’s Mattias Falck is in the mood here at Zhengzhou, and has taken a 2-0 (11-4, 11-9) lead over fellow European Simon Gauzy.
Falck is playing at a high intensity pace, and causing Gauzy all sorts of problems. Is this the end of the road for the Frenchman?
RESULT: Hugo Calderano 4-0 Liam Pitchford (11-4, 11-4, 13-11, 12-10)
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
What a clear-cut win for Hugo Calderano! The Brazilian has been stunning against Liam Pitchford in this match, cruising to a straight games win in 33 minutes!
It was evident from the start that Calderano was out to attack Pitchford’s forehands – and the technique worked wonders as he now moves ahead to the quarter-finals with a head full of steam.
Hugo pulls ahead
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Liam Pitchford is in trouble against the ‘Thrill From Brazil’ in the first round of play at the Bank of Communications 2020 ITTF Finals.
Hugo Calderano has taken a superb 2-0 (11-4, 11-4) lead over the Englishman and is playing with absolute speed and power. Can Pitchford make a comeback?
RESULT: Wang Yidi 4-0 Sofia Polcanova (11-3, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
It seems that Wang Yidi had no plans of allowing Sofia Polcanova back into the game, as the Chinese closed out the win in convincing fashion in the fourth and final game that lasted little over 6 minutes.
Wang was in a cool flow of forehand and backhand returns that just did not allow any maneuverability to Polcanova – and sent Wang into the quarter-finals.
Convincing stuff from Wang Yidi
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Wang Yidi has a three game lead over Sofia Polcanova here at Zhengzhou, having taken a little under 23 minutes in that process (11-3, 14-12, 11-7).
Will the Austrian star respond?
RESULT: Wang Manyu 4-0 Hitomi Sato (11-6, 16-14, 11-5, 11-9)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
It’s a good afternoon for all Chinese supporters, as Wang Manyu glides into the quarter-finals after her tussle with Japan’s Hitomi Sato ended in 51 minutes.
Despite winning the match without dropping a game, Wang was clearly pushed to her limits by Sato – especially in the 30-point second game! However, winning that game seemed to give the Chinese athlete the confidence to push on and wrap up the victory in style.
RESULT: Xu Xin 4-0 Quadri Aruna (12-10, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5)
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Following in the footsteps of his senior compatriot, Xu Xin has reached the next stage of the ITTF Finals by winning against Quadri Aruna in four straight games!
The Nigerian had a tough time against the world no.2 as the Chinese stood firm with his penhold grip to dominate the match. This concludes a disappointing week for Aruna, but Xu will push on with good momentum in his favour.
“I haven’t played in a long time, before starting I was a little nervous. I kept thinking how I could quickly get back into a competitive mood and didn’t actually think too much about the details of the match. I was very much looking forward to playing in an international competition after so long and wanted to do well but there were still some emotional ups and downs before starting. Having fans definitely affects the athletes on court. We get more excited with more audience watching. I hope when I get back the feeling soon and can be more excited and play better soon.” Xu Xin
RESULT: Ma Long 4-0 Patrick Franziska (12-10, 11-1, 11-6, 11-4)
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
The Dragon has roared into the quarter-finals of the ITTF Finals here at the Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Center, as he saw off Patrick Franziska in a quick frenzy of a match!
Winning in straight games, Ma Long showcased the kind of form that took him to the final of the Men’s World Cup last week. For the German, it was a step too far as his legendary foe at the table was simply in too good of a form.
“I haven’t played with Franziska for several years already, the last was in 2015. He has improved a lot in matches against Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin and Liang Jingkun in recent years. He is one the younger Europeans who is able to put pressure on us. I prepared well for this match but I also thought he was not comfortable with my playing style that was why it was 4-0. The first game was also important.” Ma Long
RESULT: Sun Yingsha 4-0 Jeon Jihee (12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Well, that’s one way to make an impression! Sun Yingsha has just blown away her Korea Republican opponent in straight games and how!
Jeon Jihee was up against the rising Sun from China, who was relentless in her forehand attacking play – giving no room for Jeon to work with. Inside of 34 minutes, the young Chinese has left a statement of intent here – she’s not settling for anything less than the podium.
Chen reacts
“Although I won today’s match, I thought that there were several problems surfacing throughout. I was rather tense in the match and the points were always very close and I felt like I was rather restricted by her. Having won the match showed that I still did ok but when the problems surfaced, I could have reacted better to it” Chen Meng
RESULT: Chen Meng 4-2 Miyu Kato (11-6, 13-11, 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
There we have it, Chen Meng has survived an early scare in Zhengzhou to advance to the women’s singles quarter-finals.
Miyu Kato deserves her plaudits for pushing the title favourite very close in their head-to-head, but ultimately the 21-year-old bids farewell to the 2020 ITTF Finals. The match goes to Chen 4-2.
Match conclusion on the horizon
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Chen can see the finish line ahead after extending her lead to 3-1. Kato continues to show just how much of a threat she can pose with a much more refined outing in game three (11-7), although, like Chen, she has now used her time out. Game four (11-6) will serve as great encouragement for Chen as she begins to enjoy great success when forcing Kato out wide, with the Japanese player struggling to cover the angles.
Trailing but Miyu Kato proving dangerous prospect
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Two games played and it’s Chen who holds the advantage with both games going in the Chinese star’s direction (11-6, 13-11).
However, Kato is proving somewhat of a dangerous prospect for the top seed, with Chen visibly struggling to contain her Japanese counterpart’s service game at times. Chen recovered well from 5-7 down to edge game two, but has also been forced into an early time out call earlier than she would have liked. This one isn’t over yet!
Back to the action
Following a short break in play it’s time for our next match-up as three-time women’s singles champion Chen Meng faces the no.15 seed from Japan, Miyu Kato.
Jang reacts
“In the fifth game, I was down 3-1 in games and 10-8 in points to him. I thought I would lose the match so I just gave it a go and got some lucky points. I think he got nervous and after the fifth game I had less pressure. At 3-1, 10-9 was the most important point in the match for me. If I lost that point it was game over, but I knew if I won it I had one more chance.
I feel better than I did in Weihai. There were no matches for many months but after the World Cup I feel much more like I am used to playing.” Jang Woojin
RESULT: Jang Woojin 4-3 Tomokazu Harimoto (6-11, 2-11, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-5)
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
You can’t make this up! Jang Woojin has just pulled off an unbelievable comeback to see off 2018 men’s singles champion Tomokazu Harimoto in another 4-3 thriller between the two.
Staring defeat in the face by the close of game four, Jang saves two match point opportunities before eventually taking game five to keep his hopes alive. A dominant performance from the Korean in game six puts momentum in his court heading into the decider – another full distance affair against Harimoto, but this time it’s Jang’s moment to shine, powering to victory in some style. What a match!
Jang up against the ropes now
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
This one isn’t going as hoped for Jang, who now find himself 3-1 behind and needing the next three games in a row to stay in the competition.
The Korean has managed to put his name on the scoreboard since our last update having enjoyed the better of game three (11-7), but with Harimoto taking the following game by the same margin (11-7), the odds are really beginning to stack up in the latter player’s favour.
Teenage ace on the front foot
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, 17, will be delighted to have gained an early foothold in his rematch with Jang Woojin, having been on the back foot in the early moments of their recent encounter at the 2020 Men’s World Cup.
The teenager was forced to recover from a 0-2 game deficit on that occasion, but this time out already holds a 1-0 lead following a commanding, yet composed, performance in game one (11-6). All seven games were needed in the previous meeting between these two, so keep your eyes peeled!
Fan reacts
“Everyone is still getting used to the playing conditions, hence why there were not a lot of long rallies in this match. I thought he made quite a few unforced errors today. For me I thought I managed to handle him quite well. His specialty is his backhand speed but I was able to match it today which prevented him from fully utilising it.” Fan Zhendong
RESULT: Fan Zhendong 4-0 Jeoung Youngsik (11-6, 11-2, 11-5, 11-7)
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
One of the stars of the show last week at last week’s Men’s World Cup in Weihai, but here in Zhengzhou it’s an opening round exit for Jeoung who simply can’t contain Fan’s electric display.
Unable to really establish any kind of footing from the start, Jeoung and his coaching corner used the last tool at their disposal in game four hoping that a time out call may disrupt Fan’s rhythm. The decision proves somewhat successful as the Korean begins to claw back enough points to force a time out call from his opponent. In the end, however, it was simply delaying the inevitable with Fan eventually crossing the finish line with little difficulty.
Defending champion sending a clear message
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
The man to beat in the men’s singles race, recently crowned 2020 ITTF Men’s World Cup winner and the defending ITTF Finals champion Fan Zhendong is sending out a clear message of intent in his opening fixture here in Zhengzhou.
Facing opposition from Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik, top seed Fan has enjoyed a thunderous start to the match showing his no.11 seeded opponent no mercy across the opening two games (11-6, 11-2). Is the writing on the wall here or can Jeoung find a way back into this one?
Solja reacts
“It was a roller coaster match, with a lot of ups and downs. In the last game I was 2-8 down because I rushed it too much knowing I had the chance to win this match. I tried to stay calm, take it slow and I am very satisfied with my performance. I also enjoy being able to play in front of spectators again.” Petrissa Solja
RESULT: Petrissa Solja 4-2 Feng Tianwei (11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Incredible scenes here as Solja marches through to the quarter-finals after completing a sensational 4-2 win over Feng!
One way traffic in the German player’s direction in games four and five, Solja then produced one of the greatest comebacks of her career: trailing 2-8, Solja summoned up her inner-warrior to claim nine of the following 10 points, taking game six in the process. Arms thrown aloft and a smile on her face, the no.14 seed from Germany has delivered a special result here at the Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Centre.
Gathering momentum
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Disappointed not to take the opening game, Feng is looking much happier in her approach now having collected games two and three (11-8, 11-9) to move 2-1 ahead in the tie. However, it hasn’t been easy going for the 2010 champion with Solja forcing the Singapore star into a time out call in game three which could be an important factor if this one goes right down to the wire.
A roller coaster opening
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Talk about a dramatic start to this second match between Singapore’s Feng Tianwei and Germany’s Petrissa Solja with game one proving very much a game of two halves.
Sailing into a commanding four point advantage at the halfway stage, Feng looked well on her way to claiming a routine early lead, only for Solja to crush those expectations with a remarkable recover effort (11-8).
Suh reacts
“I faced her quite recently at the Women’s World Cup and studied the match to prepare for this. I was quite confident… It feels good to have fans cheering for you again and I am thankful for the kind words they had during the match. I am very thankful for the fans.” Suh Hyowon
RESULT: Suh Hyowon 4-1 Kasumi Ishikawa (11-8, 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5)
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
The first result of the day has gone in the favour of Suh Hyowon with the no.16 seeded entry causing a huge upset with her five-game victory over no.7 seed Kasumi Ishikawa! Putting in a real defensive masterclass throughout, Suh was in command from minute one and will be delighted with her first round showing here in Zhengzhou.
Ishikawa on the brink!
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Wow! We are potentially just one game away from seeing a shock opening round exit for 2014 women’s singles champion Ishikawa. The Japanese stalwart just hasn’t managed to properly settle into her meeting with Suh so far with the latter player being rarely troubled in games three and four (11-9, 11-5).
It’s Suh who now holds a 3-1 lead here, meaning there is simply no more room for error on Ishikawa’s side of the table.
Exhilarating start to the day
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
What an interesting way to open the day’s proceedings here with a rematch between Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa and Korea Republic’s Suh Hyowon. The two met only recently at the 2020 ITTF Women’s World Cup with Ishikawa prevailing 4-0 on that occasion.
Already we have a different picture in Zhengzhou – a great opening game performance from Suh, but after losing three points in a row, from 9-5 to 9-8, the Korean opts for a surprisingly early time out call which ultimately succeeds (11-8). Ishikawa forms an immediate response in game two (11-3) to level the scores once again, but this one is looking very tight.
Fans make their long-awaited return to live table tennis!
After months away from the action, we are delighted to see a number of fans in the stand here in Zhengzhou. The wait has been long, but it’s great to finally see some fans back enjoying elite level table tennis in person once again.
What’s coming your way?
Before we get underway here in Zhengzhou, here’s a look ahead to the day’s fixture line-up:
Welcome back to #RESTART!
Good morning and welcome to day one of the Bank of Communications 2020 ITTF Finals and with it the third #RESTART series event.
Today’s action sees 24 of the 32 competitors take to the stage with quarter-final positions up for grabs. You can read up on the draw here.
