by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Now, watch the action unfold on the Official ITTF YouTube Channel.

Defeats for two leading young ladies; for the other prominent names it was early success.

Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the top seed, beat the Slovak Republic’s Natalia Grigelova (11-2, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4), whilst Izabela Lupulesku, the no.2 seed accounted for Croatia’s Leona Santek (11-7, 11-6, 13-11, 11-8) on what was a round of mixed fortunes for Serbia.

Success for Izabela Lupulesku, it was the same Tijana Jokic, the no.6 seed, she ousted Vera Van Boheemen of the Netherlands (11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 11-5); however for Radmila Tominjak, it was defeat. She was beaten by Romania’s Tania Plaian, the no.4 seed (11-9, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2).

Relatively comfortable success for Tania Plaian and Tijana Jokic; for the Czech Republic’s Zdena Blaskova, the no.7 seed and Leili Mostafavi of France, the no.8 seed, life was far more testing.

Zdena Blaskova had to recover from a two games to nil deficit to beat Hungary’s Leonie Hartbrich (9-11, 11-13, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9), Leili Mostafavi required six games to end the hopes of Germany’s Laura Tiefenbrunner (14-12, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2).

In the Junior Boys’ Singles event the leading names are yet to enter the arena but as matters commenced there was one result to catch the eye; qualifier Markus Tonkovic from the Slovak Republic beat Serbia’s Florian Fenyvesi, the no.15 seed (18-16, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10).