by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Good form in the early part of the day, in the evening session of play, in the Women’s Singles event, it was the same scenario. Occupying the fifth seeded position in the draw, Georgina Pota accounted for Sweden’s Li Fen, the ninth seed (11-3, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10) to reserve her place in the quarter-finals.
A place in the last eight of the Women’s Singles event as status advised but there were upsets as players strove for a quarter-final place.
Britt Eerland of the Netherlands and China’s Li Jiayi, both qualifiers, recorded second round wins. Britt Eerland caused a major upset by beating Singapore’s Zhou Yihan, the no.3 seed (9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-14, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9); Li Jiayi, who also reached the Women’s Doubles final in harness with colleague, Chen Xingtong, accounted for Russia’s Maria Dolgikh, the no.15 seed (11-8, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5).
Disappointment for Singapore, there was more disappointment, Zhou Yihan, the no.4 seed, was beaten by Ukraine’s Tetyana Bilenko.
Three surprise second round wins and there was one more but not where the leading name was concerned. Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin, the no.11 seed, accounted for Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm, the no.6 seed (3-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10); conversely, China’s Chen Meng, the top seed overcame Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus, the no.12 seed (12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-1, 12-10).
Wins for players who had been required to compete in the qualification tournament, it was the same in the second round of the Men’s Singles event as players vied for quarter-final places.
China’s Shang Kun, Lin Gaoyuan and Yan An all accounted for seeded adversaries whilst Germany’s Ruwen Filus beat fellow qualifier and doubles partner Ricardo Walther (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7).
Shang Kun overcame colleague, Zhou Yu, the no.10 seed (11-9, 14-12, 12-10, 11-3); Lin Gaoyuan defeated Frenchman, Simon Gauzy, the no.5 seed (11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8), whilst Yan An eventually overcame Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the no.7 seed, in a full distance duel (8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4).
Defeat for Hugo Calderano but there was a degree of consolation, partnering colleague Gustavo Tsuboi, occupying the no.2 seeded position in the competition, the Brazilians advanced to the final of the Men’s Doubles event where they meet Fang Bo and Zhou Yu, the no.5 seeds.
Surprises but not amongst the leading names on second round Men’s Singles duty.
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the top seed, beat Poland’s Jakub Dyjas, the no.14 seed (11-5, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5), China’s Fang Bo, the no.3 seed, defeated Germany’s Wang Xi (11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 12-10), whilst Korea’s Joo Saehyuk, the no.4 seed, ended the hopes of French qualifier, Adrien Mattenet (11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10).
Delight for Joo Saehyuk and he had further cause to celebrate, the second day of play in the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open was his 37th birthday.
