by Ian Marshall, Editor

Furthermore, such performances suggest that more than one seeded player could be in for a nasty shock.

Men’s Singles Qualification

…………Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar beat China’s Wang Chuqin (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7) and England’s Liam Pitchford, the highest rated player on qualification stage duty (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 12-10) to book his main draw place

…………Japan’s Masataka Morizono was in the fast lane, in the crucial fourth preliminary round he accounted for Portugal’s Marcos Freitas; Masataka Morizono is presently listed at no.45 on the world rankings, Marcos Freitas at no.24

…………Belgium’s Cédric Nuytinck booked his main draw place against the odds. He beat former ITTF World Tour men’s singles winners, Ricardo Walther (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 2-11, 13-11) and India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta (7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)

…………China Zhou Qihao accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan, the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals winner in 2003, to reserve his main draw place

…………Listed at no.62 on the men’s world rankings, Iran’s Nima Alamian caused a third preliminary round shock. He beat Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson, listed at no.30 (11-13, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-9); however, the euphoria did not last long, in the next round he was beaten by Croatia’s Andrej Gacina (13-11, 7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9)

Women’s Singles Qualification

…………Korea Republic’s Yoo Eunchong caused the biggest upset of the day, in the vital third preliminary round, she beat Japan’s Hina Hayata (5-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-9, 13-11, 2-11, 12-10), the winner the previous week at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Series tournament in Guadalajara and the previous month in Lisbon

…………In 2015 Romania’s Elizabeta Samara had beaten Germany’s Han Ying in the final to claim the title; in 2019 tables were turned. In the third preliminary round Han Ying beat Elizabeta Samara in seven games (9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7)

…………Germany’s Petrissa Solja, winner earlier in the year at the CCB 2019 Europe Top 16 Cup, experienced defeat against China’s Wang Yidi (9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6) in the third preliminary round.

…………Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska booked her place in the third preliminary round by recovering from a two games to nil deficit to beat Poland’s Li Qian by the minimal two point margin in the decider (9-11, 14-16, 12-10, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10). She reserved her place in the main draw in exactly the same manner; she beat Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin (9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9).

…………Successful at the recent Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Series Spanish Open, Japan’s Miyu Kato beat Nadezhda Bogdanova of Belarus to book her place in the main draw (11-8, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9)

Men’s Doubles Preliminary Round

…………Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Ricardo Walther beat Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn, the reigning European champions (11-6, 4-11, 10-11, 12-10, 11-8) to progress to the main draw

Women’s Doubles Preliminary Round

…………Runners up three days earlier in Guadalajara, in Doha it was defeat at the first hurdle for Poland’s Natalia Bajor and Natalia Partyka; they were beaten by the combination of Spain’s Maria Xiao and Canada’s Zhang Mo

Mixed Doubles Preliminary Round

…………European champions Germany’s Ruwen Filus and Han Ying booked their place in the main draw but in the second preliminary round they were tested; they needed the full five games to beat Hungary’s Bence Majoros and Dora Madarasz (11-7, 11-3, 10-12, 11-13, 11-6)