by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

A place in the penultimate round reserved, he overcame Slovenia’s Deni Kozul, the no.8 seed, by the very narrowest of five game margins (5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 13-11) to reserve his place in the final.

Undoubtedly a fine performance by Lam Siu Hang but the player to catch the eye on the morning of the penultimate day of play was the Czech Republic’s Tomas Polansky.

The no.7 seed, he accounted for Darko Jorgic, the no.4 seed and like Deni Kozul from Slovenia (11-4, 7-11, 12-10, 16-14), prior to booking his place in the final courtesy of success in opposition to Korea’s Cho Seungmin, the top seed. Impressively, Tomas Polansky emerged successful in four games (11-4, 12-10, 11-6).

Upsets in the Under 21 Men’s Singles event as play progressed to the final; it was the very same in the counterpart Under 21 Women’s Singles competition.

An all Japanese quarter-final duel witnessed success for Satsuki Odo, the no.8 seed; she upset the odds by beating Kyoka Kato, the top seed (7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6). Likewise at the same stage Russia’s Valeria Shcherbatykh, the no.7 seed, caused a surprise; she beat Korea’s Ji Eunchae, the no.2 seed, in a quite dramatic five games contest determined by the minimal two point margin (7-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 15-13).

Quarter-final success for Satsuki Odo and Valeria Shcherbatykh; there was more to follow.

Both reserved places in the final; in the penultimate round Satsuki Odo beat Germany’s Wan Yuan, the no. 3 seed (11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8); Valeria Shcherbatykh ended the hopes of Giorgia Piccolin, the no.10 seed (11-6, 11-6, 11-9)..

The final of both Under 21 Men’s Singles and Under 12 Women’s Singles events will be played later in the day.