The Dragon ends day in style

Men’s Singles: Round Two 

Ma Long remains on course to lift the men’s singles trophy for a record 28th time, claiming his place in the last eight with a thunderous performance against Japan’s Koki Niwa (11-4, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2).

The concluding men’s singles contest of day two saw Tomokazu Harimoto claim his first-ever victory over English star Liam Pitchford (11-8, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8).

Who are you supporting?

No joy for qualifiers

Men’s Singles: Round Two 

Both required to compete in the qualification tournament, Japan’s Jun Miztuani and France’s Simon Gauzy both fell in round two of the main draw with defeats to China’s Xu Xin (11-4, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7) and Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting (11-4, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9), seeded 2nd and 14th respectively.

Kasumi Ishikawa departs!

Women’s Singles: Round Two 

There will be no place in the quarter-finals for Japanese sixth seed Kasumi Ishikawa, exiting the race in round two following a swift defeat in her meeting with no.14 seed Chen Xingtong (11-6, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5). In the closing women’s singles fixture of the day there was another victory for China as Liu Shiwen produced a majestic display to eliminate Austrian opponent Sofia Polcanova 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5).

“I think I performed good today in general, although I was a bit unfocused at the beginning. Before this match I just finished doubles so I felt a little bit tired… From the second game on, I became more and more concentrated.” Liu Shiwen

Easy pickings

Women’s Singles: Round Two 

Japan’s Mima Ito and China’s Chen Meng are safely through to the quarter-finals of the women’s singles event, picking up convincing victories in their respective encounters: no.7 seed Ito stormed to a 4-0 win against Singapore’s Feng Tianwei (11-6, 11-8, 14-12, 11-9) while no.3 seed Chen also advanced courtesy of a straight games success at the expense of DPR Korea’s Kim Song I (11-6, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5).

“I am happy that today I played out my own style and continued it until the end of match. This is the reason why I won 4-0.” Mima Ito

Top seeds miss out

Men’s Doubles: Semi-Finals

Seeded first for the men’s doubles competition but Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu will have to settle for the third spot on the podium following their 3-1 defeat at the hands of China’s Ma Long and Wang Chuqin (11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10).

“Last time we met at the World Championships, it was also a tough match. Following our victory against them last time, today we had better mindset.” Ma Long

There was further semi-final disappointment for Korea as third seeds Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon lost out to Germany’s Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska by the narrowest of margins (11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 2-11, 11-9).

Guaranteed gold for host nation

Women’s Doubles: Semi-Finals

The host nation will receive the women’s doubles gold and silver medals in Shenzhen after semi-final victories for two of the country’s pairs set up an all-China final.

First up, top seeds Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling needed just three games to prevail over no.5 seeds Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae (11-9, 11-5, 11-6) before Gu Yuting and Liu Shiwen handed China its second ticket to the title match, beating fellow qualifiers Honami Nakamori and Satsuki Odo (11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7).

Seeded partnerships edge through

Mixed Doubles: Semi-Finals

In the penultimate round of the mixed doubles draw it was the two seeded partnerships that emerged victorious over the two qualification combinations, but only just!

Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, seeded first, fought back from a 1-2 deficit to negotiate their meeting with DPR Korea’s Ham Yu Song and Cha Hyo Sim 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-4). Fourth seeds Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching also needed the full distance to get the job done as the Chinese Taipei pair narrowly edged past Japan’s Koki Niwa and Mima Ito (13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8).

End of the road for Brazilian star

Men’s Singles: Round Two

Brazil’s Hugo Calderano is out of the running with the no.7 seeded player falling to ninth seed Liang Jingkun by a 4-2 margin (8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6). Over on table 1 it was top seed Fan Zhendong who came out on top, seeing off Slovak qualifier Lubomir Pistej to seal passage to the quarter-finals (11-7, 7-11, 11-0, 11-8, 12-10).

Lin Gaoyuan reacts

Here’s what Lin Gaoyuan had to say following his breathtaking victory over Dimitrij Ovtcharov:

“My mentality was better today on court and I wasn’t giving myself too much pressure, after some mental strength training over the recent period of time I was better able to handle these crucial moments, more firm in my execution, and have lesser mindless thoughts in my head.

… trailing 5-10, I wasn’t thinking too much in my mind, just trying to focus, at 10-10, it’s more of trying to strengthen my mentality. I still face issues while trying to fight for match points, but eventually I was able to win the match, it’s a kind of self affirmation. It was a really close shave, felt like an escape from death. This match was good training for my mental strength and a good experience for me in this kind of situation. It’s quite rare as in the past it’s always me having the lead and getting caught up, so this change in mindset is a great help to me.” Lin Gaoyuan

Defeat for Ovtcharov but Boll prospers

Men’s Singles: Round Two

Holding a three games to one advantage in his second round fixture against Lin Gaoyuan but Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov failed to secure a spot in the men’s singles quarter-finals, losing out to the no.3 seed in seven games (9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 17-15).

However, there will be a spot in the last eight for Germany with Timo Boll surviving a big scare against Chinese qualifier Yu Ziyang (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 13-15, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8).

“He had three match points in the sixth game. It was important for me to have a good start in the seventh. I had three or four lucky balls. He was a bit down himself but still kept fighting and trying to come back. It was a really close game.” Timo Boll

Leading Chinese names impose authority

Women’s Singles: Round Two

China’s Ding Ning, Zhu Yuling and Wang Manyu all imposed their authority on proceedings as play began in the second round of the women’s singles event.

Ding Ning, the top seed, beat Japan’s Miu Hirano, the no.9 seed (11-9, 11-3, 11-6, 11-7), Zhu Yuling, the no.2 seed, accounted for colleague Qian Tianyi (11-8, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6). Similarly, Wang Manyu, the no.4 seed and defending champion ended the progress of Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu (11-5, 12-14, 14-12, 11-8, 11-8).

“I am satisfied with my performance today. I played against her at the World Championships last month and we are very familiar with each other. I think today I did pretty good at switching between aggressive & defensive modes.” Ding Ning

Defeat for Chinese Taipei but there was success; Cheng I-Ching, the no.8 seed, best Romania’s Bernadette Szocs (14-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 13-15,  11-8).

Success for Korea Republic

Men’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals

Korea Republic enjoyed success at the quarter-final stage of the men’s doubles event.

Winners at the Grand Finals in 2016, Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu, the top seeds, beat Japan’s Masataka Morizono and Jin Ueda (12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8); the winners last year in 2018, Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon, the no.3 seeds, accounted for Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson and Jon Persson (6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 14-12).

Budapest repeated

Men’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals

Just over one month ago in the men’s doubles final at the Liebherr 2019 World Championships in Budapest, China’s Ma Long and Wang Chuqin beat the combination on Spain’s Alvaro Robles and Ovidiu Ionescu to claim the title.

In Shenzhen, at the quarter-final stage the Chinese duo repeated the feat; they prevailed in four games (9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-2).

Chinese pairs assert authority

Women’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals

China’s Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling, the top seeds, alongside colleagues Gu Yuting and Liu Shiwen, the no.7 seeds, booked semi-final places.

In the round of the last eight pairs Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling beat Singapore’s Lin Ye and Zeng Jian, the no.6 seeds (11-4, 12-10, 11-6); Gu Yuting and Liu Shiwen accounted Japanese teenage qualifiers Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki (11-7, 12-10, 11-7).

Fourth seeds depart

Women’s Doubles: Quarter-Finals

Japan’s Honami Nakamori and Satsuki Odo, alongside DPR Korea’s Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae caused quarter-final women’s doubles upsets.

Honami Nakamori and Satsuki Odo, qualifiers, beat the combination of Spain’s Maria Xiao and Canada’s Zhang Mo, the no.8 seeds (11-2, 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-7); Cha Hyo Sim and Kim Nam Hae, the no.5 seeds, ousted Hong Kong’s Lee Ho Ching and Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.4 seeds (11-3, 11-4, 11-5).

Which Japanese pair is the better?

Mixed Doubles: Quarter-Final

Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, the top seeds and winners last December at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, emerged successful in their quarter-final mixed doubles encounter but only just. They needed the full five games to beat the newly convened Japanese partnership of Tomokazu Harimoto and Kasumi Ishikawa (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10).

Defeat for Tomokazu Harimoto and Kasumi Ishikawa; does that lay claim for Koki Niwa and Mima Ito to be considered the best Japanese mixed doubles pairing? At the quarter-final stage, qualifiers they beat Austria’s Stefan Fegerl and Sofia Polcanova, the no.6 seeds, in straight games (11-9, 11-9, 11-8).

Chinese interest ends

Mixed Doubles: Quarter-Final

China’s Xu Xin and Chen Meng, in the eyes of many favourites for gold, suffered a quarter-final mixed doubles defeat. They were beaten by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yin-Ju and Cheng I-Ching in three straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-9).

“I think we had better mindset. The first two games were easier but the third game was quiet tough. We just told ourselves to carry out tactics more firmly. Our opponents were nervous today.” Cheng I-Ching

“Today I did not give too much pressure to our opponent.” Xu Xin

Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open: Schedule of Play Thursday 30th June to Sunday 2nd June