by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Defeat for one seeded player as proceedings in the first round of the Women’s Singles event commenced; there also defeat for a second.
Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the no.7 seed, was beaten by Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yi-Hua in four straight games but arguably the outcome was closer than the result may suggest; each game was decided by the minimal two point margin (11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 15-12).
An upset but according to past results, the decision was arguably on the cards. In 2008 when they met in Guangzhou at the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Championships, Elizabeta Samara had won but on the two ensuing meetings the verdict had gone in favour of Huang Yi-Hua. She won when the pair met at the H.I.S. 2009 World Championships in Yokohama and the following year at the Liebherr 2010 World Team Championships in Moscow.
Defeat for Elizabeta Samara, a winner on three occasions on the ITTF World Tour and also there was defeat for a former champion in Olomouc. Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus, required to qualify, experienced defeat at the hands of top seed Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa (11-4, 11-5, 11-1, 11-8).
Success for Japan and that was very much the story in the top half of the opening round in the Women’s Singles event.
Additional to Mizuki Morizono; Hitomi Sato, the no.4 seed, beat Russia’s Olga Vorobeva (11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 13-11), Sakura Mori, the no.8 seed, accounted for Poland’s Natalia Partyka (11-4, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8). Likewise, Hina Hayata, the no.9 seed, ended the hopes of China’s Yuan Yuan (11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9); Yui Hamamoto, the no.13 seed, overcame Britt Eerland of the Netherlands (13-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9).
Meanwhile, in the one remaining Women’s Singles contest in the top half of the first round draw, the closest result was witnessed; Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm, the no.12 seed, beat Germany’s Nina Mittelham, the runner up the previous day in the Under 21 Women’s Singles event.
Eventually Matilda Ekholm won in seven games (16-14, 5-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8).
In the second round, Kasumi Ishikawa faces Matilda Ekholm, Mizuki Morizono opposes Huang Yi-Hua; Sakura Mori confronts Yui Hamamoto, Hina Hayata meets Hitomi Sato.
The second round of the Women’s Singles event commences at 3.00pm (local time) on Friday 25th August.
