by Ian Marshall

Liu Jing lines up alongside Korea Republic’s Seo Suyeon, Russia’s Nadezhda Pushpasheva and Brazil’s Catia de Silva Oliveira.

At the quarter-final stage Liu Jing accounted for Argentina’s Maria Garrone (11-8, 11-7, 11-1), Seo Suyeon, silver medallist in Rio de Janeiro, doused the aspirations of Serbia’s Ana Prvulovic (11-4, 11-7, 11-6).

Meanwhile, Nadezhda Pushpasheva overcame Poland’s Dorota Buclaw (8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8), Catia de Silva Oliveira ended the hopes of Italy’s Giada Rossi (11-8, 11-9, 11-6).

Notably at the semi-final stage, three continents – Asia, Europe, Latin America – are represented.

End of the road for Giada Rossi who had started proceedings as the top seed; in all other women’s singles events the hopes of the leading name remain alive.

All bar one remained unbeaten as the group phase progressed, the only exception being Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands. She had to settle for second place in her class 7 group behind Anne Barneoud of France.

Otherwise, it was progress without too many travails for the most prominent names in the initial phase of play.

To date, Sweden’s Anna Carin Ahlqhuist remains unbeaten in class 3, as does China’s Zhou Ying in class 4 and colleague Zhan Bian in class 5.

Likewise in the standing categories, Mao Jingdian has maintained a perfect record in class 8, a situation that applies to compatriot Xiong Guiyuan in class 9, Poland’s Natalia Partyka in class 10 and Russia’s Elena Prokofeeva in class 11.

Precious medals are ever closer; tense times beckon.