by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Trailing by three games to one, Sarah de Nutte and Ni Xialian, who one day earlier had ousted the Russian top seeded partnership formed by Maria Dolgikh and Polina Mikhailova (10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3), mounted a spirited recovery, the won the next two games to force a decider; to the relief of those gathered in the Tüskecsarnok, the Hungarians held firm to win by the minimal two point margin (11-13, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9).

Success for Dora Madarasz and Szandra Pergel was as status advised; it was the same in the remaining three quarter-final contests.

Notably German pairs enjoyed successes but not without some moments of urgency, especially for Shan Xiaona and Petrissa Solja, the no.2 seeds. They needed the full seven games to beat the Slovak Republic’s Barbora Balazova and the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova, the no.12 seeds (4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8).

Testing times for Shan Xiaona and Petrissa Solja; life was less demanding for Kristin Silbereisen and Sabine Winter, the no.7 seeds. They beat the combination formed by Slovenia’s Alex Galic and Switzerland’s Rachel Moret in five games (11-1, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3).

An impressive win for Kristin Silbereisen and Sabine Winter, it was the same for Romania’s Daniela Monteiro-Dodean and Elizabeta Samara; the no.7 seeds, they accounted for the Russian partnership of Yana Noskova and Yulia Prokhorova, the no.6 seeds, with the loss of just one game (11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8).

At the quarter-final stage Dora Madarasz and Szandra Pergel meet Kristin Silbereisen and Sabine Winter; Shan Xiaona and Petrissa Solja oppose Daniela Monteiro-Dodean.