by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
The players to cause the upsets were Romania’s Alina Zaharia who beat Daria Trigolos of Belarus, the no.22 seed (11-5, 13-11, 11-6, 13-11) and Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska who accounted for Audrey Zarif of France, the no.31 seed (11-7, 11-6, 11-1, 12-10)
Both not seeded, they emerged as two of five players who had been required to compete in the preliminary phase to reserve third round places; in the other instances it was fellow qualifiers competing against each other in the quest for progress.
Chinese Taipei’s Tsui Pao-Wen beat Romania’s Andreea Dragoman (11-7, 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7), Serbia’s Andrea Todorovic accounted for Russia’s Valeria Shcherbatykh (11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10), whilst Pauline Chasselin of France defeated Slovakia’s Tatiana Kukulkova (11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6).
Otherwise it was success as predicted with the leading names that had negotiated the opening round, making progress; Korea and Japan being very much in evidence.
Top seeds, Korea’s Suh Hyowon beat Charlotte Carey of Wales (11-3, 11-1, 11-6, 11-6); colleague Yang Haeun, the no.3 seed, ousted Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chia-Hsuan, the no.30 seed (11-3, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6). Likewise in an all Korean affair, Jeon Jihee, the no.8 seed, ended the hopes of Kim Jiho (12-10, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8).
Successes for three leading Koreans; it was the same for Japan. Hitomi Sato beat England’s Tin-Tin Ho (11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10), Honika Hashimoto, the no.4 seed, ended Polish hopes by overcoming Katarzyna Grzybowska-Franc (11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6); in a similar manner, Saki Shibata, the no.5 seed, ended the journey of Spain’s Galia Dvorak (11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4).
Play in the third round and quarter-finals of the Women’s Singles event takes place on Friday 16th March.
