by ITTF-Oceania
The hunt for medals is on. Check out who is in the running for places on the podium.
Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
Heming Hu will be out for revenge as he faces off against Dean Shu. The 2017 ITTF-Oceania Junior Champion pulled off a seemingly impossible in the Men’s Team Event against Hu. The Kiwi has been having a stunning tournament so far on the Gold Coast. He has two wins against Team Australia this week and doesn’t look like resting on his laurels. Hu won’t take the match lightly and will look to show why he is the no.1 seed.
The all Aussie showdown between Kane Townsend and Trent Carter will have fireworks. The pair have played twice this year, and have come away with a win each. The dynamic will be an interesting one for table tennis fans. Townsend is a lefty with a big serve and counter forehand. Meanwhile Carter brings medium pimples on the backhand to the game. This isn’t your typical matchup.
New Zealand’s Dinyar Irani will need to come out swinging if he is going to get past the safe hands of David Powell. The Australian is one of the most consistent players in the continent off both wings. Irani will need to bring some pace to the court, otherwise it will be one way traffic for Powell.
The final matchup has Mathew Ball and Xin Yan clashing once again. Ball had match points against Yan in their team’s encounter, and only went down 12-10 in the fifth. Yan is renowned for being a slow starter, so the seven game format of the singles will definitely suit him better. If the Australian gets moving, he could be an impossible force. Ball needs to play messy and sneak a couple of games on the board if he is going to secure a win.
Women’s Singles Semi-Finals
In the Women’s Singles there are four Aussies left standing. The only surprise absence is Miao Miao who had to withdraw after suffering an ankle injury in her Mixed Doubles match.
The top half of the draw will see Jian Fang Lay facing Chunyi Feng. It should be straight forward for Lay who has been imperious this week. In Feng’s favour is her speed. If she can make Lay move, perhaps she will wrong foot her. Otherwise a straight games win for Lay isn’t out of the question.
In the bottom half is perhaps more interesting. Melissa Tapper is up against Michelle Bromley. The duo know each other’s game inside out and probably have played each other close to one hundred times. Tapper will be favourite but Bromley has been edging closer to a win. Both have both hit clean topspins, with Tapper standing a little farther back, while Bromley will look to counter punch. They compliment each other’s games, providing a perfect storm.
