by Ian Marshall, Editor
On the concluding day of play, after having accounted for Hina Hayata (11-7, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9), Mima Ito overcame Miyuu Kihara (13-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5) to secure the title for the second time in her career.
Notably the combined ages of the women’s singles finalists added to a mere 32 years! Mima Ito is 18 years old; Miyuu Kihara is only 14 years of age. Almost the age of Jun Mizutani who by the standards of the ladies is a veritable veteran!
Later this year, the stalwart of Japanese table tennis will celebrate his 30th birthday. He secured the men’s singles title at the expense of his doubles partner, Yuya Oshima, a six games win being the order the day (11-13, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5).
Earlier, at the semi-final stage Yuya Oshima had beaten Tomokazu Harimoto in the match of the day, succeeding by the minimal two point margin in the deciding game (11-8, 11-4, 1-11, 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9); rather less dramatically Jun Mizutani had ended the hopes of Yuto Kizukuri (5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6).
Success and success in a tournament which has a unique place in Japanese sport. The All Japan National Championships, in years gone by sometimes referred to as the Emperor’s Cup and Empress Cup, always held in January, was first staged in 1936 when only men’s singles and women’s singles events were held.
There was a break during World War Two from 1941 to 1945; the event restarting in 1946 in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Various cities played host before in 1973 Tokyo became the favoured home; since that date Nagoya in 2000 and now this year Osaka are the only cities to have hosted the event.
Furthermore, it is the first time the destination has been Osaka. Notably next year, Osaka will again be the host.
It is the tournament where pride is at stake, not financial reward; players in Osaka competed for honour and they competed in numbers.
Most impressively 246 entries were received for the men’s singles event, 241 for the women’s singles; in the men’s doubles there were 112 pairs, in the women’s doubles 116. Similarly 100 mixed doubles partnerships were on duty; 214 competitors enrolled in the junior boys’ singles, 208 in the junior girls’ singles competition. In total some 1,565 players competed.
Results (Later Rounds)
2019 All-Japan Table Tennis Championships
Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, Monday 14th – Sunday 29th January
Men’s Singles
Quarter-Finals:
Tomokazu Harimoto bt Maharu Yoshimura 11-8, 11-4, 1-11, 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9
Yuya Oshima bt Hibiki Tazoe 11-2, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4
Yuto Kizukuri bt Asuka Machi 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7
Jun Mizutani bt Koki Niwa 13-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10
Semi-Finals:
Yuya Oshima bt Tomokazu Harimoto 8, 4, -1, 8, -8, -4, 9
Jun Mizutani bt Yuto Kizukuri 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6
Final:
Jun Mizutani bt Yuya Oshima 11-13, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5
Women’s Singles
Quarter-Finals:
Mima Ito bt Minami Ando 15-13, 11-13, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6
Hina Hayata bt Saki Shibata 11-4, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7
Sakura Mori bt Miyu Kato 12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-5
Miyuu Kihara bt Hitomi Sato 5-11, 12-10, 7-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9
Semi-Finals:
Mima Ito bt Hina Hayata 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9
Miyuu Kihara bt Sakura Mori 6-11, 11-4, 14-12, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7
Final:
Mima Ito bt Miyuu Kihara 13-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5
Men’s Doubles
Quarter-Finals:
Jun Mizutani / Yuya Oshima bt Mizuki Oikawa / Kohei Sambe 12-14, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7
Yuto Kizukuri / Tomokazu Harimoto bt Ryohei Kanoya / Taimu Arinobu 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7
Kaiki Matsushita/ Tomoya Fujimura bt Kenta Matsudaira / Kenta Tazoe 11-9, 11-9, 11-7
Yuki Matsuyama / Masaki Takami bt Maharu Yoshimura / Yuma Tsuboi 11-9, 11-8, 11-5
Semi-Finals:
Yuto Kizukuri / Tomokazu Harimoto bt Jun Mizutani / Yuya Oshima 15-13, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10
Yuki Matsuyama / Masaki Takami bt Kaiki Matsushita/ Tomoya Fujimura 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8
Final:
Yuto Kizukuri / Tomokazu Harimoto bt Yuki Matsuyama / Masaki Takami 9-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 16-14
Women’s Doubles
Quarter-Finals:
Hina Hayata / Mima Ito bt Ayami Narumoto / Ayano I 11-5, 11-6, 11-9
Hitomi Sato / Honoka Hashimoto bt Miko Tokunaga / Airi Abe 6-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6
Saki Shibata / Satsuki Odo bt Chiaki Kato / Kyoka Kato 12-10, 15-13, 11-9
Yurika Taira / Yuki Matsumoto bt Yuka Umemura / Maki Shiomi 11-9, 3-11, 13-11, 11-9
Semi-Finals:
Hina Hayata / Mima Ito bt Hitomi Sato / Honoka Hashimoto 11-5, 11-6, 14-12
Saki Shibata / Satsuki Odo bt Yurika Taira / Yuki Matsumoto 11-5, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8
Final:
Hina Hayata / Mima Ito bt Saki Shibata / Satsuki Odo 11-3, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6
Mixed Doubles
Quarter-Finals:
Masataka Morizono / Mima Ito bt Taiyo Uemura / Kasumi Kimura 11-7, 11-9, 11-3
Kenta Tazoe / Yui Hamamoto bt Arata Minakawa / Hiromi Ueno 11-6, 12-10, 12-10
Keiya Uemura / Airi Abe bt Kazuhiro Chan / Misaki Morizono 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8
Tomokazu Harimoto / Miyu Nagasaki by Ryusuke Karube / Yuki Matsumoto 14-12, 5-11, 11-4, 11-4
Semi-Finals:
Masataka Morizono / Mima Ito bt Kenta Tazoe / Yui Hamamoto 11-6, 11-7, 13-11
Tomokazu Harimoto / Miyu Nagasaki bt Keiya Uemura / Airi Abe12-10, 11-9, 11-4
Final:
Masataka Morizono / Mima Ito bt Tomokazu Harimoto / Miyu Nagasaki 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8
Junior Boys’ Singles
Quarter-Finals:
Yukiya Uda bt Atsuhiro Horikawa 11-6, 13-11, 11-5
Yuma Tanigaki bt Ren Imaizumi 12-10, 11-9, 11-6
Jo Yokotani bt Sora Matsushima 11-1, 11-9, 11-8
Shunsuke Togami bt Hiroto Shinozuka 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
Semi-Finals:
Yukiya Uda bt Yuma Tanigaki 11-4, 11-5, 13-11
Shunsuke Togami bt Jo Yokotani 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6
Final:
Shunsuke Togami bt Yukiya Uda 6-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-3
Junior Girls’ Singles
Quarter-Finals:
Miyu Nagasaki bt Misa Inayoshi 11-6, 12-10, 13-11
Kyoka Idesawa bt Hina Kizuka 11-4, 11-6, 11-9
Satsuki Odo bt Yuka Aoki 11-4, 11-9, 11-4
Miyuu Kihara bt Yumeno Soma 11-4, 11-7, 11-1
Semi-Finals:
Kyoka Idesawa bt Miyu Nagasaki 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8
Satsuki Odo bt Miyuu Kihara 12-10, 11-9, 11-9
Final:
Kyoka Idesawa bt Satsuki Odo 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7