by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
At the final hurdle, Sun Jiayi and Sabina Surjan overcame Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ting-Ting and Su Pei-Ling, the no.2 seeds (2-11, 11-7, 13-11, 12-10), having one round earlier accounted for Korea’s Kim Seoyun and Lee Youngi (11-2, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9), a partnership very much in form.
In round two, they had beaten the combination of Thailand’s Jinippa Sawettabut and Amy Wang of the United States, the top seeds (11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6), on what for the latter duo was their first match in the event.
An early defeat for the top seeds, it was the same for Russia’s Kristina Kasantseva and Ekaterina Zironova, the no.4 seeds, they were beaten in the third in contest that with the benefit of hindsight was no great upset. They lost to Sun Jiayi and Sabina Surjan (11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4).
Defeat in the third round for Kristina Kasantseva and Ekaterina Zironova; for Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee and Wong Chin Yau, the no.3 seeds, it was farewell at the quarter-final stage. They lost to Chinese Taipei’s Cai Fong-En and Chen Ci-Yuan (7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8), the victims of Cheng I-Ching and Su Pei-Ling one round later (11-7, 12-10, 11-2).
Likewise, in the Junior Boys’ Doubles event, the top seeds departed on their first visit to the table; a direct entry to round two, the combination of Brazil’s Carlos Ishida and Kanak Jha of the United States suffered at the hands of the Czech Republic’s David Prusa and Jan Valenta ((3-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9).
Alas for the Czech Republic the euphoria was short lived. They were beaten in the next round by Romania’s Christian Chirita and Paul Mladin (3-11, 7-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-9) who in turn experienced a quarter-final reverse when facing Baek Taehong and Yang Yechan (11-7, 11-5, 11-4).
Earlier than anticipated departures, it was the very same for Italy’s Matteo Mutti and Carlos Rossi, the no.3 seeds, as it was for Germany’s Cédric Meissner and Kay Stumper, the no.4 seeds. Matteo Mutti and Carlos Rossi departed in the quarter-finals beaten by Hong Kong’s Cheng Pak Hoi and Chong Maurice Kai Ning (11-3, 11-7, 11-7), the eventual bronze medallists. One round later they were beaten by the champions elect Feng Yi-Hsin and Tai Ming-Wei (11-5, 11-2, 11-5).
A last eight farewell for Matteo Mutti and Carlos Rossi, for Cédric Meissner and Kay Stumper it was a second round farewell; they suffered at the hands of Korea’s Oh Junsung and Park Gyuhyeon (11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8). However, as with David Prusa and Jan Valenta, the joys of victory were short lived; in the very next round they were beaten by the combination of Portugal’s Vitor Amorin and Jules Cavaille of France (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10), the eventual bronze medallists.
At the semi-final stage they experienced defeat when facing Bak Taehong and Yang Yechan (12-10, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5).
