by Ian Marshall, Editor
At the quarter-final stage of proceedings, they were extended the full five match distance by the Japanese duo of Hiroto Shinozuka and Yuma Tanigaki, the player to cause the Chinese outfit problems being Hiroto Shinozuka; he beat both Zeng Beixun (4-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10) and Quan Kaiyuan (11-6, 11-8, 11-9), the latter contest, the one and only match of the engagement that did not need the full five games to decide the outcome.
In the opening match of the fixture Quan Kaiyuan overcame Yuma Tanigaki (8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7), before in the doubles Gao Yang partnered Zeng Beixun to success in opposition to Horito Shinozuka and Yuma Tanigaki (11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7). Close contests, matters concluded in an even closer engagement; by the minimal two point margin in the deciding game Zeng Beixun accounted for Yuma Tanigaki (11-8, 11-13, 11-5, 3-11, 12-10) to seal the victory.
Success in dramatic fashion, at the semi-final and final stages with no changes to the order, life for the Chinese trio was less exacting. In the penultimate round, a 3-0 win was recorded against the Korea Republic duo of Park Gyeongtae and Hwang Jinha, before by the same margin the title was secured at the expense of Frenchmen Lilian Bardet and Dorian Zheng. In the counterpart semi-final, Lilian Bardet and Dorian Zheng had recorded a 3-1 win in opposition to Japan’s Takeru Kashiwa and Hayate Suzuki.
Tense times for China in the junior boys’ team event; in the cadet boys’ team competition, there were no such heartaches for their colleagues Chen Yuanyu, Chen Yaxuan and Shen Feng. They recorded a 3-0 quarter-final success against the Indian trio of Divyansh Srivastava, Adarsh Chhetri and Vishwa Deenadayalan, before overcoming Singapore’s Koh Junhao and Isaac Quek Yong by the same margin to reserve their place in the final.
Imposing performances, at the final hurdle they accounted for Hong Kong’s Yu Nok and Yiu Kwan To to seal the title. In the adjacent half of the draw, Yu Nok and Yiu Kwan To had secured their place in the final courtesy of a 3-2 success against Korea Republic’s Gil Minseok and Oh Junsung. The player to cause the Hong Kong duo problems was Gil Minseok; he beat both Yu Nok (12-10, 8-11, 12-14, 11-9, 16-14) and You Kwan To (11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7).
The junior boys’ team and cadet boys’ team events concluded; attention now turns to three days full days of action; the junior boys’ singles, cadet boys’ singles and mini-cadet boys’ singles events commence on Friday 14th June.
