Croatia’s Lea Rakovac Eliminates 15th Seed Miu Hirano
In one of the morning session’s most significant upsets, Croatia’s Lea Rakovac continued her impressive run to claim a major scalp, defeating Japan’s Miu Hirano 4-2 (11-8, 7-11, 12-5, 11-10, 6-11, 11-7). Rakovac’s dynamic attacking play proved too much for her more experienced opponent, propelling the Croatian to a surprise place in the Round of 32.
Romania’s Eduard Ionescu Stages Stellar Comeback Against Kanak Jha
In a remarkable demonstration of resilience, Romania’s Eduard Ionescu fought back from a 1-3 deficit to stun USA’s 26th seed Kanak Jha 4-3 (6-7, 4-11, 11-5, 5-11, 15-11, 11-5, 11-6). After looking out of contention, Ionescu found his rhythm in the fifth game and never looked back, completing one of the tournament’s most impressive comebacks.
England’s Jarvis Stuns German Star Qiu
In another major shock, England’s Tom Jarvis produced a remarkable performance to eliminate Germany’s 10th seed Dang Qiu in a seven-game thriller, 4-3 (11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-11, 6-11, 16-11, 11-8). Jarvis showed tremendous composure in the decisive seventh game to claim one of the biggest victories of his career.
Chinese Taipei’s Li Stuns American Star Zhang
Chinese Taipei’s Li Yu-Jhun eliminated USA’s 18th seed Lily Zhang 4-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7). After dropping the opening game, Li took control with her consistent all-round play to advance to the Round of 32.
Doubles Drama Unfolds
England’s Winter and Germany’s Wan Shock Chinese Third Seeds
The biggest upset in Women’s Doubles came when Germany’s duo, Sabine Winter and Yuan Wan stunned China’s third-seeded Qian and Chen 3-2 (5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9). The European combination showed remarkable composure in the deciding game to claim a famous victory.
Greece-Australia Pair Claims Surprise Win
In Men’s Doubles, the unseeded Greek-Australian duo of Wang and Angelakis continued their impressive run with a surprising 3-2 (13-11, 3-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7) victory over Singapore’s 16th-seeded Chew and Chua. After falling behind 1-2, the underdogs staged a remarkable comeback to reach the quarterfinals.
Top Seeds Progress
Despite the upsets, several favourites advanced comfortably. Japan’s fourth-seeded Men’s Doubles pair Harimoto and Matsushima dismantled Austria’s Gardos and Habesohn 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-4), while France’s top-seeded Lebrun brothers cruised past Iran’s Faraji and Keshavarzi by the same scoreline.
In Women’s Singles, Japan’s sixth seed Hina Hayata looked in imperious form, defeating Iran’s Neda Shahsavari 4-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-1, 11-2), while China’s Shi Xunyao was equally dominant in her 4-0 (11-2, 11-1, 11-8, 11-3) victory over Serbia’s Andrea Todorovic.
Mixed Doubles Excitement
The Mixed Doubles event produced some of the morning’s most dramatic encounters, with Japan’s Matsushima and Harimoto surviving a stern test against Croatia’s Ban and Arapovic, prevailing 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9).
Brazil’s Teodoro and Giulia Takahashi overcame Spain’s Berzosa and Ukraine’s Matiunina 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8), while Chinese Taipei’s Lin and Cheng I-Ching eliminated Sweden’s sixth-seeded Karlsson and Kallberg 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4).
As Session 2 begins, fans can look forward to more high-quality table tennis with the conclusion of the Round of 64 in singles events and further doubles action. With the unpredictable nature of this year’s Championships already established, more surprises surely await. For a full list of results from the morning session, visit the dedicated event page here.
