by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun caused somewhat of a surprise in the Women’s Doubles penultimate round contest; the no.3 seeds, they accounted for Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching, the no.2 seeds, on what was not the best of morning for Hong Kong (11-4, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6)

In addition to the defeat experienced by Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching, compatriots Ng Wing Nam and Minnie Soo Wai Yam also departed proceedings; the no.5 seeds, they were beaten by the top seeded combination formed by Japan’s Hina Hayata ansd Mima Ito; a four games outcome was the end result (10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6).

Success for Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun contrary to status, it was the same in the penultimate round of the Men’s Doubles event for Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu; the no.7 seeds, they overcame the Japanese combination of Tomokazu Harimoto and Masataka Morizono, the no.3 seeds (5-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9).

In the final, the prodigious Chinese partnership of Ma Long and Xu Xin, the no.5 seeds, awaits. They emerged successful in the battle of the World champions; Ma Long and Xu Xin, the winners in Rotterdam in 2011 beat Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chi-Yuan, the gold medallists two years later in France, in three straight games (11-6, 11-4, 11-3).

“We were nervous but we always thought “it’s okay, it’s okay”; we played shot by shot. They played very nervously and we were very lucky. For the final against Ma Long and Xu Xin, it will be tough, we will have to play very aggressively.” Lee Sangsu

The title deciding contests in both the Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles events will be played on Sunday 25th March; the finals programme is due to start at 2.30pm (local time), the Women’s Doubles final being the first match on the schedule.