by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Defeat for Nanthana Komwong, now 36 years old, absent in recent months from the international scene and required to compete in the qualification stage of proceedings, was not unexpected.

She was beaten by Singapore’s Zeng Jian, the no.3 seed (11-5, 12-10, 12-10, 12-14, 11-9).

However, the exit of 22 years of age Suthasini Sawettabut, a player of whom much is expected, was not to be anticipated; she was beaten by India’s Ayhika Mujherjee (11-5, 11-9, 12-10, 11-3), a player who is no stranger to causing upsets.

Notably at the 2013 World Junior Championships in the Moroccan city of Rabat, she beat the Czech Republic’s Karolina Mynarova and Japan’s Miyu Kato to reach the third round of the Girls’ Singles event before Croatia’s Lea Rakovac ended adventures.

One upset and there was one more as quarter-final places were sought; Korea’s Kim Seoyeon, like Ayikha Mukerjee a qualifier, accounted for Zeng Jian’s colleague, Zhou Yihan, the no.5 seed (11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 11-2).

Otherwise for the leading names it was success.

Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem, the top seed and Japan’s Hitomi Sato, the respective top two seeds both beat Chinese Taipei adversaries. Doo Hoi Kem accounted for Wang Yi-Ju (11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6); Hitomi Sato ended the hopes of Liu Hsing-Yin (11-7, 11-4, 11-2, 11-3).

Success for Japan; it was the same in the three remaining second round Women’s Singles duels.

Honoka Hashimoto, the no.4 seed, beat colleague, Minami Ando, the no.16 seed (12-10, 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6); Maki Shiomi, the no.7 seed, accounted for Korea’s Lee Yujin (7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7), whilst Saki Shibata, the no.8 seed, ended the hopes of Chinese Taipei’s Lin Po-Hsuan (5-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3), like Lee Yujin a qualifier.

At the quarter-final stage Doo Hoi Kem meets Kim Seoyeon, Maki Shiomi opposes Honoka Hashimoto. In the opposite half Zeng Jian meets Ayhika Mukherjee, Sako Shibata plays Hitomi Sato.