by Ian Marshall, Editor

The winner earlier this year in late May, Kazuhiro Yoshimura, presently listed at no.82 on the Men’s World Rankings, was beaten by a player he knows well; he suffered at the hands of colleague, Masataka Morizono, named at no.56 (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5).

Defeat for Kazuhiro Yoshimura; for Ricardo Walther who in 2014 had won in Croatia and Kim Donghyun, crowned champion the following year in Bulgaria, it was success. Kim Donghyun beat Yukiya Uda, like Masataka Morizono and Kazuhiro Yoshimura from Japan (9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7); Ricardo Walther accounted for Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar (13-11, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7).

All were wins according to current status; Ricardo Walther is listed at no.53 on the present day World Rankings, Tomislav Pucar is at no.84. Similarly, Kim Donghyun is at no.83, Yukiya Uda at no.108.

However, there was one outcome contrary to ranking; China’s Zhou Yu, named at no.63, overcame Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck, who stands at no.55.

Otherwise, as with Kim Donghyun and Ricardo Walther, it was success for the higher rated player as the preliminary round concluded.

Spain’s Alvaro Robles beat Croatia’s Lubomir Pistej but needed the full seven games (11-6, 6-11, 18-16, 11-7, 8-11, 14-16, 11-3); Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju ended the hopes of Florent Lambiet, like Cédric Nuytinck from Belgium (9-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-8, 11-9).

Meanwhile, as play concluded, for the Oceania it was disappointment for the host nation in the Men’s Doubles qualification event. Xavier Dixon and Finn Luu lost to the combination of Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Spain’s Alvaro Robles (11-2, 11-4, 11-4); for Samuel Von Einem and Raymond Zhang it was defeat at the hands of the partnership formed by Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck and Frenchman, Quentin Robinot (11-3, 11-1, 11-2).

Play in the main draw commences on Thursday 26th July.