by Ian Marshall, Editor

A somewhat surprise name to reach the latter stages but he is not alone; colleagues Kakeru Sone and Yuta Tanaka also progressed contrary to expectations, as did the Korea Republic’s An Jaehyun and Moldova’s Andrei Putuntica.

Required to qualify, after posting a third round win against Austria’s Andreas Levenko, the no.4 seed (11-1, 8-11, 11-3, 13-11), An Jaehyun accounted for Germany’s Meng Fanbo (11-4, 11-8, 12-10) to reserve his quarter-final place. Likewise on duty in the preliminary stage, Kakeru Sone recorded a third round win in opposition to Cho Seungmin, the no.3 seed and like An Jaehyun from the Korea Repubic (11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 13-11) to keep his medal hopes alive.

Meanwhile, also in form, Andrei Putuntica, the no.16 seed, caused a third round upset by beating Hungary’s Bence Majoros, the no.3 seed (11-3, 11-7, 11-4); at the same stage Yuta Tanaka, the no.15 seed, ousted India’s Ronit Bhanja (12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8), the shock second round winner in opposition to Aliaksandr Khanin of Belarus, the no.7 seed (11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 13-15, 11-8).

In the quarter-final round Shunsuke Togami meets Hong Kong’s Ng Pak Nam, the top seed, An Jaehyun opposes Romania’s Rares Sipos, the no.6 seed; in the opposite half of the draw Andrei Putuntica faces Denmark’s Anders Lind, the no.5 seed, Kakeru Sone confronts Yuta Tanaka.

Ng Pak Nam secured his quarter-final place courtesy of success against India’s Manav Vikash Thakkar, the no.25 seed (6-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-1), Rares Sipos beat Germany’s Gerritt Engemann (11-7, 11-7, 11-7); Anders Lind ended the adventures of Japan’s Aoto Asazu (11-6, 11-9, 11-4).

The Under 21 Men’s Singles event will be played to a conclusion on Friday 26th October.