by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Listed at no.388 on the recently published Women’s World Rankings, Anna Kirichenko accounted for Emina Hadziahmetovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina named at no.219 (11-7, 14-12, 8-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-7), before recording an even bigger upset by overcoming Poland’s Magdalena Sikorska who occupies the no.167 spot.

In a hard fought contest, Anna Kirichenko emerged successful in seven games (11-3, 11-8, 4-11, 2-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-2).

Success against the odds for Anna Kirichenko, it was the same for Shin Yubin. She overcame the defensive skill of Alina Nikitchanka of Belarus (11-6, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5), before in an equally impressive manner ending the ambitions of Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yu-Chin (11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 12-10).

On newly issued Women’s World Rankings, Shin Yubin appears at no.266; Alina Nikitchanka is at no.232 with Tsai Yu-Chin being at no.207.

Two surprise first places and there was a surprise in store for Klaudia Kusinska, at no.140, the third highest rated player on duty in the Women’s Singles qualification tournament. In her one and only match of the day, she was beaten by Austria’s Karoline Mischek, named at no.285 in five games (12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3, 13-11).

Furthermore, whatever the outcome in the concluding match in the group when she faces Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin, first place cannot be gained. In the opening match in the group; Giorgia Piccolin accounted for Karoline Mischek in seven games (9-11, 11-1, 11-7, 14-12, 10-12, 8-11, 11-6).

Problems for Klaudia Kusinska but there were no such travails for the other leading names.

Serbia’s Andrea Todorovic beat Bulgaria’s  Anelia Karova (11-5, 11-7, 11-8, 11-3); Korea’s Lee Eunhye accounted for the Slovak Republic’s Eva Jurkova (11-5, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10), whilst Russia’s Olga Vorobeva defeated India’s Mousoumi Paul (11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4).

Play in the Women’s Singles qualification tournament concludes on Wednesday 3rd May.