by Ian Marshall, Editor

A most impressive performance, it was the same from their host nation colleagues; Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun, the no.2 seeds, responded. They accounted for Hong Kong’s Ng Wing Nam and Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.5 seeds (11-4, 12-10, 12-10).

Two pairs from the Korean Peninsula through to the last four; it is the same for the visitors from China. Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling, alongside the formidable partnership of Chen Meng and Ding Ning also recorded quarter-final successes.

Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling, the no.3 seeds, ended the hopes of the European combination of Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova and Spain’s Galia Dvorak, like Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae qualifiers (11-7, 11-6, 11-6); in a similar manner Chen Meng and Ding Ning, the no.4 seeds, halted the aspirations of Singapore’s Yu Mengyu and Zhou Yihan, the no.8 seeds (11-4, 11-7, 11-3).

At the semi-final stage in the top half of the draw Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae meet Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling, in the lower half Chen Meng and Ding Ning oppose Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun.

The matches are scheduled for later in the day during the evening session of play; no doubt the odds favour the Chinese combinations but with a fervent crowd, could the Korean Peninsula pairings achieve new heights?