by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
A successful day for Simon Ardvisson as it was for Japan’s Hokuto Koriyama and Iran’s Hamidreza Taherkhani; both topped their groups and thus secured main draw places.
However, for five other leading names on Men’s Singles qualification tournament duty there were problems.
Austria’s David Serdaroglu and Australia’s Lin Xuqi both lost to Chinese adversaries; David Serdaroglu experienced defeat when facing Yan Sheng (12-10, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8); Lin Xuqi was beaten by Xu Ruifeng (11-13, 9-11, 11-4, 13-11, 16-14, 11-4). Similarly, Thailand’s Pattaratorn Passara suffered at the hands of Hong Kong’s Su Zhi (7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7).
However, as with David Serdaroglu and Australia’s Lin Xuqi, it was the only defeat of the day for Pattaratorn Passara.
Thus a place in the main draw is still an option. Players finishing in first positions in each of the 24 groups advance to the main draw to join the 32 seeds; the second placed players compete in a preliminary phase. Runners up spot in group no.9 to group no.24; those players enter the first preliminary round. The same position in group no.1 to group no.8; they enter the second preliminary round.
Conversely, for Panama’s Omer Avi-Tal and the host nation’s Komgrit Sangpao, both amongst the leading names on duty, it is the end of the road. Omer Avi-Tal was beaten by both Paris Zonois of Greece (11-3, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-3) and by Thailand’s Tananan Tantakool (11-4, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8).
Similarly, Komgrit Sangpao experienced defeats when facing Iran’s Amin Miralmasi (11-5, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4) and when opposing Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin (14-12, 8-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9).
Play in the qualification tournament concludes on Thursday 17th May.
