However the Japanese teenagers may be the focus of attention but they are not the only reason it could be a memorable day in Shenzhen.

Ten to note

…………No Japanese player has ever reached a men’s singles or women’s singles final at an ITTF World Tour tournament in China, can Tomokazu Haromoto and Mima Ito break the hoodoo?

…………Can Wang Manyu retain her women’s singles title? She faces Mima Ito in the second women’s singles semi-final of the day.

…………Wang Manyu and Mima Ito met at the same stage last year, Wang Manyu prevailed in five games (11-8, 12-10, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8).

…………Mima Ito won her most recent encounter against Wang Manyu; just under one year ago she prevailed in the final on home soil at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Japan Open in Kitakyushu (11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10).

…………Chen Meng has a liking for Suzhou, she won in consecutive years 2012 and 2013; she meets Zhu Yuling in the first semi-final of the day. Zhu Yuling won in 2015 in Chengdu.

…………Lin Gaoyuan has home advantage, he is from Shenzhen, he meets Xu Xin in the first men’s singles semi-final.

…………Does Lin Gaoyuan start the favourite against Xu Xin? He has won their two most recent meetings, last December at the quarter stage of the Grand Finals (11-3, 9-11, 13-11, 11-13, 11-2, 11-9) earlier this year in the penultimate round in Hungary (14-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9).

…………Tomokazu Harimoto faces the most prodigious task of all, in the second semi-final of the day he confronts Ma Long

…………Last year in Kitakyushu, Tomokazu Harimoto beat Ma Long in the quarter-finals (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 3-11, 2-11, 11-6); earlier this year at the ITTF-Asia Cup in Yokohama, Ma Long avenged the defeat in the group stage (11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8).

…………Ma Long is on the threshold of history, can he win and thus secure a record 28th ITTF World Tour men’s singles title?