by Ian Marshall, Editor

Competing in Class 6 and in her very first World Para Championships, Fliss Pickard caused a major quarter-final upset by overcoming Poland’s Katarzyna Marszal, the no.3 seed (12-10, 11-9, 12-10). At the semi-final stage she now meets Russia’s Raisa Chebanika, the no.2 seed. In the opposite half of the draw, Ukraine’s Maryna Lytovchenko, the top seed, opposes Germany’s Stephanie Grebe.

Success against the no.3 seed, in Class 7 it was exactly the same for Anne Barneoud; she accounted for Russia’s Ulija Shishkina (11-13, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10) and now opposes Turkey’s Kubra Korkut in the semi-finals. In the opposite half of the draw, Kelly Van Zon of the Netherlands, the top seed, meets Korea Republic’s Kim Seongok.

Problems for the third seeds, it was exactly the same in Class 9; Turkey’s Neslihan Kavas experienced a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Korea Republic’s Kim Kunhea (13-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5). Kim Kunhea now confronts Xiong Guiyan, the top seed, in the penultimate round; in the opposite half of the draw Poland’s Karolina Pek, the no.2 seed, meets China’s Xiong Guiyan, the top seed.

Difficult times for the third seeds, in Class 10 and in Class 11, at the quarter-final stage, there were problems for the second seeds. In the former, Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre experienced a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s Tian Shiau-Wen (9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6); in the latter, Ukraine’s Natalya Kosmina was beaten by Japan’s Kanami Furakawa (7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9).

Notably, also in Class 11, there was a last eight reverse for the no.4 seed, Hong Kong’s Ng Mui Wui, she ended the hopes of Japan’s Sayuri Mio (11-5, 11-6, 11-4). At the semi-final stage Ng Mui Wui meets Russia’s Elena Prokofeva, the top seed; Kanami Furukawa opposes Poland’s, Krystyna Lysiak, the no.3 seed. Meanwhile, in Class 10, in the penultimate round, Tian Shiau-Wen meets Denmark’s Sophie Walloe, the no.4 seed; Poland’s Natalia Partyka, the top seed, faces Australia’s Melissa Tapper, the no.3 seed in a contest between two players who in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 competed in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Surprises, not in Class 7 where there were three groups in the initial phase; in the semi-finals Kelly van Zon of the Netherlands, the top seed, confronts China’s Li Guiying, in the opposite half of the draw Thu Kamkasomphou plays Norway’s Aida Dahlen.

Play at the 2018 World Para Championships concludes on Saturday 20th October.

2018 World Para Championships: Results and Draws