by Ian Marshall, Editor
Most impressively, Barbora Balazova and Galia Dvorak beat India’s Manika Batra and Mouma Das, the no.7 seeds (11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8); Kim Song I and Suh Hyowon experienced defeat by the very narrowest of margins at the hands of China’s Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling, the no.3 seeds (10-12, 11-5, 3-11, 12-10, 11-9).
“My partner is one of the top players in the world and won a medal at the Olympics so it was a very good opportunity to play with her here in Korea. If the is an opportunity to play with her again, I will take the opportunity and do my best. I felt a lack of confidence but she helped me overcome it, at every point we communicated with each other and overall, even though we lost, I don’t mind, because we will improve. If we get to play together in future, I hope we do better and achieve our goals in the competition.” Suh Hyowon
A close defeat, it was the same for the Korea Republic’s Ryu Hanna and Shin Yubin; they were beaten by Hong Kong’s Ng Wing Nam and Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.5 seeds (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8).
Disappointments for the Korean Peninsula but there was success; the host nation’s Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun, the no.2 seeds, beat Singapore’s Lin Ye and Zeng Jian (11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8); DPR Korea’s Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae received a walk-over when due to face the top seeded Japanese duo of Hina Hayata and Mima Ito, the former being unable to play through injury.
Problems for Japan; but there was success, Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa, the no.7 seeds, accounted for India’s Madhurika Patkar and Pooja Sahasrabudhe (11-4, 11-7, 11-2) to reserve their quarter-final place in a most imposing manner.
Similarly, China’s Chen Meng and Ding Ning, the no.4 seeds, alongside Singapore’s Yu Mengyu and Zhou Yihan, the no.8 seeds, both emerged successful, both at the expense of Chinese Taipei. Chen Meng and Ding Ning beat Cheng Hsien-Tu and Liu Hsing-Yin (11-3, 11-8, 11-9); Yu Mengyu and Zhou Yihan overcame Liu Yu-Hsin and Su Pei-Ling (11-3, 11-5, 11-9).
At the quarter-final stage Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae meet Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa, Barbora Balazova and Galia Dvorak face Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling; in the lower half of the draw Chen Meng and Ding Ning confront Yu Meng Yu and Zhou Yihan, Ng Wing Nam and Minnie Soo Wai Yam oppose Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun.
The matches will commence play on Friday 20th July.
