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2018 ITTF Challenge, Spanish Open

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Stand aside Hugo Calderano, enter centre stage Vitor Ishiy

30 Mar 2018

A place in the final at the recent Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open, Hugo Calderano was the name on everyone’s lips; wins over Germany’s Timo Boll, Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto and China’s Lin Gaoyuan before losing to the latter’s colleague, Fan Zhendong grabbed the headlines.

Now some three weeks later, another Brazilian is making news; at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Spanish Open in Guadalajara on Friday 31st March, Vitor Ishiy came out of the shadows.

Interested eyes look on as Vitor Ishiy progressed to round three (Photo: Alvaro Diaz)

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

The no.20 seed, he recorded a major second round Men’s Singles success and underlined the fact that likewise he can beat worthy Japanese opponents. He accounted for  Kazuhiro Yoshimura, the no.7 seed, in six games (11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9).

Such performances, with the Liebherr 2018 World Team Championships approaching, can only be positive signs for the South American country, a country that is moving from continental success to global renown.

Impressive from Vitor Ishiy; likewise there were most creditable performances from Korean qualifier Kim Minhyeok and Austria’s Simon Pfeffer, the no.36 seed. Kim Minhyeok beat Frenchman, Andrea Landrieu, the no.16 seed (13-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 14-12); Sim Pfeffer ended the hopes of Luxembourg’s Luka Mladenovic, the no.28 seed. He prevailed in a hard fought seven games encounter (8-11, 11-5, 11-3, 10-12, 11-1, 10-12, 11-4).

Places in the third round booked against expectations; four further names contrary to seeding also progressed. Japan’s Asuka Machi, who started play as the no.24 seed, beat Italian qualifier Chen Shuainan (11-6, 11-3, 11.8, 11-6), whilst when facing fellow qualifiers, Russia’s Artur Abusev and Moldova’s Andrei Putintica, both emerged successful.

Artur Abusev beat Slovakia’s Ingemar Peter (11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7), Andrei Putuntica accounted for the Czech Republic’s David Reitspies (11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3).

Performances in excess of expectations; for Austria’s Robert Gardos, Korea’s Cho Seungmin, Abdel-Kader Salifou of France and Iran’s Nima Alamian, as play progressed, it was second round success as predicted.

Robert Gardos, the no.2 seed, beat Chinese Taipei qualifier Tsai Chun-Yu (11-9, 11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 11-6); Cho Seungmin, the no.4 seed, accounted for Roman’s Alexandru Cazacasu, the no.31 seed (11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8). Nima Alamian, the no.9 seed, ended the hopes of Russia’s Maksim Kiselev, like Tsai Chun-Yu a qualifier. Imposingly the Iranian won in five games (11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9).

The third round of the Men’s Singles event in addition to the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be staged on Saturday 31st March.

Challenge Series Vitor Ishiy

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