by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Defeat for Shan Xiaona against the odds and there was one further upset; one that signalled the end of host nation hopes.

Georgina Pota, the no.8 seed, was beaten by Portugal’s Fu Yu, the no.9 seed, in a full distance seven games encounter (5-11, 2-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-7).

Two upsets and there were defeats for former champions who had each won the title on two occasions.

Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian, the no.20 seed, who had prevailed in 1998 in Eindhoven and again in 2002 in Zagreb was beaten in seven games by Germany’s Kristin Silbereisen, the no.19 seed (6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-7). Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus, the champion in 2010 in Ostrava and 2012 in Herning experienced defeat at the hands of Li Jie of the Netherlands, the no.5 seed (11-6, 11-8, 11-3, 11-8).

Success for Kristin Silbereisen, there was also success for her colleagues, Han Ying and Petrissa Solja but not for Sabine Winter.

Han Ying, the top seed, beat Romania’s Daniela Monteiro-Dodean, the no.13 seed; Petrissa Solja, the no.2 seed, overcame Russia’s Maria Dolgikh, the no.25 seed (11-3, 11-7, 11-7, 11-1). Conversely Sabine Winter, the no.16 seed, experienced defeat at the hands of Daniela Monteiro-Dodean’s colleague, Elizabeta Samara, the no.7 seed and defending champion (10-12, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9).

Defeat for Maria Dolgikh, it was also defeat for her compatriot, Polina Mikhailova, the no.12 seed; she was beaten by Turkey’s Hu Melek, the no.6 seed (7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9).

At the quarter-final stage Han Ying meets Hu Melek, Li Jie faces Matilda Ekholm; in the opposite half of the draw Kristin Silbereisen confronts Elizabeta Samara, Fu Yu opposes Petrissa Solja.