by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Organised on the progressive knock-out system, a formula where ever player concludes play with a final position; Hokuto Koriyama and Minami Ando secured the respective first places.

In the vital match to secure first place, Hokuto Koriyama beat colleague Kohei Sambe (11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6); Minami Ando accounted for Russia’s Antonina Savelieva (11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4).

Intense competition, each player competing in some six to eight matches.

Second place for Kohei Sambe, he was followed by the Ukraine duo of Viktor Yefimov and Yevhen Pryshchepa with Japan’s Taimu Arinobu and Spain’s Guillermo Martinez completing the leading names.

Meanwhile in the Women’s Singles event it was third place for Japan’s Myami Narumoto followed by Noway’s Ma Wenting, Japan’s Miko Tokunaga and Russia’s Anna Blazhko.

A somewhat different tournament to most but every year it proves most popular and thus most successful.

Maybe it is not for Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen but for those trying to make their way on the international scene, it is ideal an example with others maybe should consider.

2016 Finlandia Open : Results – Individual Events