by Ian Marshall, Editor
Wang Chuqin, 18 years old, like Chen Qi and Wang Tao a left handed shake-hands grip player, in partnership with the one year older Xue Fei, similar to Lu Lin and Ma Lin, a right handed pen-holder, caused the biggest upset in the opening round of the Men’s Doubles event.
They beat Japan’s Masataka Morizono and Yuya Oshima, the no.2 seeds, last year runners up at the Liebherr World Championships and winners at the Seamaster Grand Finals, in four games (11-3, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6) to reserve their place in the quarter-finals.
Success contrary to seeding, there was one other such outcome as the Men’s Doubles event commenced; notably also from China. Liang Jingkun and Yan An accounted for Germany’s Patrick Franziska and Ricardo Walther, the no.4 seeds (11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10).
Defeats for two notable pairs, for the remaining seeded outfits it was success; Hong Kong recording creditable four games wins. Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, the top seeds, beat Singapore’s Gao Ning and Ethan Poh Shao Feng (10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5), Lam Siu Hang and Ng Pak Nam, the no.8 seeds, accounted for Korea Republic’s Cho Daeseong and Kim Byunghyeon (13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9).
Problems for the host nation but there was success, Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon, the no.6 seeds, overcame Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju by the very narrowest of margins (11-5, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9); more comfortably Lee Sangsu in harness with DPR Korea’s Pak Sin Hyok, the no.5 seeds, accounted for the combination of Germany’s Patrick Baum and Slovakia’s Thomas Keinath (11-4, 11-5, 11-4).
Meanwhile, in the remaining opening round Men’s Doubles contests it was success for the 2013 World champions; Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan, the no.7 seeds, as it was for Japan’s Koki Niwa and Jin Ueda, the no.3 seeds. Both pairs ended European aspirations.
Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan overcame the partnership formed by Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck and Quentin Robinot of France (11-7, 11-8, 11-8); Koki Niwa and Jin Ueda prevailed against the combination of Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Spain’s Alvaro Robles (11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 12-10).
At the quarter-final stage Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting face Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan; Lee Sangsu and Pak Sin Hyok oppose Liang Jinkun and Yan An. In the adjacent half of the draw it is Koki Niwa and Jin Ueda versus Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon, Lam Siu Hang and Ng Pak Nam in opposition to Wang Chuqin and Xue Fei.
The matches will be played on the morning of Friday 20th July.
