Maki Shiomi untroubled

Under 21 Women’s Singles: Round One

Needing just three games to get the job done, Japan’s Maki Shiomi is safely through to the quarter-finals of the Under 21 women’s singles draw at the expense of Hong Kong’s Lee Hoi Man Karen (11-9, 14-12, 11-8).

Fellow Japanese compatriot Yuka Umemura is also through to the last eight following her four games win over India’s Swastika Ghosh (9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-9).

Opening round defeat for second seed

Under 21 Men’s Singles: Round One

Seeded second in Bangkok but Germany’s Tobias Hippler has fallen at the first hurdle of the Under 21 men’s singles event, suffering a shock 3-2 defeat against Korean opponent Oh Minseo (11-7, 6-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-7).

Four further seeded players lost out in round one with the Indian trio of Ronit Bhanja, Jeet Chandra and Siddhesh Pande and Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin all experiencing defeat.

Convincing display from Japanese combination

Women’s Doubles: Preliminary Round

A place in round one of the women’s doubles event awaits Ayane Morita and Yuka Umemura following a commanding performance from the Japanese duo in their preliminary round match against France’s Camille Lutz and Prithika Pavade (11-5, 11-7, 11-6).

Full distance thriller

Men’s Doubles: Preliminary Round

Belgium’s Louis Laffineur and Adrien Rassenfosse negotiated a tense encounter against Birdie Boro and Sudhanshu Grover, beating the Indian combination across five games (11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 17-15, 11-8) to earn their place in the main draw.

Another Belgian duo also moved through with David Comeliau and Nicolas Degros proving too strong for Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting and Dominic Song Jun Koh (13-11, 11-9, 11-4).

Malaysian hopeful misses out by narrow margins

Women’s Singles: Group Stage

Two games up and closing in on the Round of 64 but Malaysia’s Tee Ai Xin failed to see herself over the line, dropping the next three games in a row to Korea Republic’s Lee Hojin (8-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9).

Instead it was USA’s Rachel Sung who progressed from Group 16, needing just three games to defeat Hong Kong’s Wong Chin Yau (11-9, 11-7, 11-4).

Host nation duo eliminated

Women’s Singles: Group Stage

Pakawan Karnthang will play no further part in women’s singles action after she fell to a straight games defeat in her closing Group 4 meeting with France’s Isa Cok (11-4, 11-3, 11-6).

There was further disappointment for the hosts in Group 10 as Pornkanok Maunghwan lost out to Koh Kai Xin Pearlyn of Singapore (11-6, 11-3, 11-7).

Comeback win hands Dana Jung top spot

Women’s Singles: Group Stage

Trailing by a two games deficit, Korea’s Jung Dana successfully hit back with three games on the bounce against India’s Poulami Das (10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8) to seal first position in Group 3 and her place in the women’s singles main draw.

USA star fights back

Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Defeated in his opening Group 16 encounter but USA’s Tian Ye has recovered to win the group, beating Singapore’s Dominic Song Jun Koh 3-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9) to claim top spot. However, Germany’s Cedric Meissner has missed out on the Round of 64, losing out to Korea Republic’s Jung Younghun (11-9, 6-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5) to finish at the foot of the group.

Top spot for Yanapong Panagitgun

Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Completing a perfect 3/3 record in Group 11, Thailand’s Yanapong Panagitgun has secured his spot in the men’s singles main event with a 3-1 victory over Korean opponent Cho Sangyeon (11-9, 11-3, 4-11, 12-10).

Finishing second in the group is Chinese Taipei’s Li Hsin-Yu, despite experiencing a five game defeat at the hands of Park Minjun (9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 6-11, 11-2).

Unexpected first places for Korea Republic

Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Korea Republic’s Oh Minseo, Cheon Minhyuck and Cho Jaehyun all finished their group stage matches on a high note to secure unexpected first places.

Oh Minseo beat Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chun-Hsiang (11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 11-2), Cheon Minhyuck accounted for India’s Payas Jain (11-3, 11-6, 11-6); Cho Jaehyun overcame Singapore’s Josh Chua Shao Han (11-3, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8).

Win finish fourth, lose finish first

Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Belgium Louis Laffineur beat Korea Republic’s Seo Hongchan (11-6, 11-8, 11-6) in his concluding group stage men’s singles contest but the end result was fourth place. It was his first win, he finished level with India’s Arjun Ghosh. However, as he had lost the Arjun Ghosh the previous day 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-3), it meant fourth place.

Conversely, for Seo Hongchan it was his first defeat. He finished with two wins alongside Chinese Taipei’s Tai Ming-Wei. The previous day he had overcome Tai Ming-Wei (7-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-9), so the end result was top spot.

One, two, three for Korea Republic

Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Korea Republic’s Park Gyeongtae, Hwang Jinha and Kang Dangsoo all finished their initial stage group matches with wins but with totally different outcomes.

Park Gyeongtae beat Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Hao-Huan (11-7, 11-9, 11-4) to secure first place in his group;  Hwang Jinha accounted for Thailand’s Thyme Sanglertsilpachai to reserve second spot and thus progress to the main draw, Kang Dangsoo accounted for Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting (11-13, 13-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9) but had to settle for third position and was thus eliminated.

The previous day Kang Dangsoo has lost the Japan’s Asuka Machi in three straight games (11-7, 11-4, 11-9) who had then suffered against Beh Kun Ting in four games (11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6). Thus games ratio decided; first place for Asuka Machi (4:3), followed by Beh Kun Ting (5:4) and Kang Dongsoo (3:5).

First place for Jinnipa Sawettabut

Under 21 Women’s Singles: Group Stage

Jinnipa Sawettabut delighted the home supporters; she beat Joanna Sung of the United States (11-2, 11-7, 11-5) to secure first place in her under 21 women’s singles group.

Impressive from Jinnipa Sawettabut, it was the same from Prithika Pavade of France; she accounted for Malaysia’s Tee Ai Xin (11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8) to reserve first position in her group.

Success for Chinese Taipei

Under 21 Women’s Singles: Group Stage

Contrary to original expectations Chinese Taipei’s Chien Tung-Chuan and Yu Hsiu-Ting both remained unbeaten to secure first places in their respective groups.

In their concluding matches, Chien Tung-Chuan recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Wong Xin Ru (4-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-7); rather less dramatically Yu Hsiu-Ting accounted for Camille Lutz of France (11-5, 11-3, 11-9).

Not a good morning for hosts

Under 21 Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Defeats for the host nation’s Yanapong Panagitgun, Thyme Sanglertsilpachai and Wattanachai Samranvong meant no place in the main draw of the under 21 men’s singles event.

Yanapong Panagitgun lost to Belgium’s David Comeliau (2-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8), the effect being that Chinese Taipei’s Li Hsin-Yu finished in first place. Meanwhile, Korea Republic’s Baek Hogyun accounted for Thyme Sanglertsilpachai (11-9, 11-5, 11-8) to secure first place; a situation that applied also to Tai Ming-Wei, like Li Hsin-Yu from Chinese Taipei, who overcame Wattanachai Sanranvong (11-9, 11-2, 11-7).

Surprise first places

Under 21 Men’s Singles: Group Stage

Unbeaten on the opening day of play, both Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Jen and Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting maintained their form on the second morning of play. Each beat the top ranked player in their respective groups to secure first place and progress to the main draw.

Huang Yu-Jen beat Canada’s Jeremy Hazin (11-6, 2-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6), Beh Kun Ting accounted for Italy’s Gabriele Piciulin (11-1, 11-5, 11-7).

Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Thailand Open: Schedule of Play (Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd May