by Ian Marshall, Editor

Straight games but the second and third were closely contested affairs, the duo from the Korean Peninsula resorting to the tried and trusted formula of defend, defend and defend when crisis loomed; both are predominantly backspin players but if required, especially Suh Hyowon, is very effective when executing a forehand top spin.

“We defended when it came close because if we attacked they were good, they blocked well, so we focused on backspin play.” Suh Hyowon

Success for Kim Song I and Suh Hyowon, soon after it was the same outcome for the combination of DPR Korea’s Cha Hyo Sim and the Korea Republic’s Choi Hyojoo; both attacking players, the former a right hander, the latter left handed.

Very different to Kim Song I and Suh Hyowon in style, also different in the fact that it was the first time that they have played together. They accounted for Russia’s Anastasia Kolish and Mariia Tailakova (11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9); sitting courtside in the role of coach was the Korea Republic’s Joo Saehyuk.

“It’s the first time they have played together, gradually they improved; a major reason they won is they caused their opponents problems with their services.” Joo Saehyuk

Success for two pairs in unison; the success follows similar outcomes the previous evening in the opening preliminary round of the Men’s Doubles event; all four pairs being supported by the ITTF Foundation and sponsored by Sportsmaster, as part of the Ping Pong Diplomacy project.

DPR Korea’s An Ji Song and the Korea Republic’s Lim Jonghoon had beaten Ukraine’s Yevhen Pryshchepa and Yaroslav Zhmudenko (11-5, 11-4, 11-6); similarly Ham Yu Song and Jang Woojin had overcame the combination of Denmark’s Tobias Rasmussen and England’s Sam Walker (11-8, 11-9, 11-7).