Korean hopes vanish
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
The men’s singles trophy won’t be lifted by a player representing Korea Republic after the country’s dreams faded with the exit of no.8 seed Jang Woojin.
Facing the master of penhold Xu Xin, seeded third, Jang Woojin struggled to find a foothold right from the early stages of the match and soon found himself down by three games. The Korean managed to save three match points in game four but couldn’t bridge the deficit any further as Xu Xin completed the win by a 4-0 margin (11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6).
Sun Yingsha storms to victory
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Losing out to Wang Manyu in their three previous meetings on the international stage but a fourth consecutive defeat was avoided as Sun Yingsha cruised past her fellow Chinese colleague in the last eight of the women’s singles event.
Both players displayed great maturity throughout with excellent table tennis coming from both ends of the table, however, there was only one player who looked likely for the win and that was Sun Yingsha with the qualifier needing just four games to see off the no.3 seed (11-8, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9).
Sweet revenge for Fan Zhendong
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Top seed Fan Zhendong is through to the semi-finals of the men’s singles draw in Sapporo following a top-draw performance against fifth seed Ma Long.
Losing out to ‘The Dragon’ at the Seamaster 2019 China Open but this time around the day belonged to Fan Zhendong: crucially saving two game point opportunities in the opening game, World no.1 Fan Zhendong went on to win three of the next four games to extend his stay (14-12, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5).
Hitomi Sato’s journey concludes
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
The player responsible for eliminating top seed Ding Ning from the women’s singles competition, but Hitomi Sato’s run was halted at the quarter-finals stage by a familiar face in Japanese colleague Miu Hirano.
While the opening game was tantalisingly close the rest of the match proved pretty straightforward for Miu Hirano as the no.9 seed swept aside her 14th seeded opponent in straight games (12-10, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8).
China secures first gold on offer
Mixed Doubles: Final
The top step of the mixed doubles podium has been reserved by China after Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling emerged victorious over the host nation’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata.
Edging to a narrow opening game success, from that point onward it was one-way traffic in the Chinese duo’s favour with no.5 seeds Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling picking up games two and three in convincing style to beat their unseeded opponents by a 3-0 score-line (12-10, 11-6, 11-5).
First time
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finalists
Never previously in an ITTF World Tour men’s singles semi-final, against the odds China’s Sun Wen and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju emerged successful in their quarter-final encounters.
Required to qualify, excelling when rallies occurred, Sun Wen beat colleague Liang Lingkun in six games (11-6, 13-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7); the success coming after Lin Yun-Ju, the no.16 seed, had given a master class in control and anticipation to overcome Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the no.7 seed (13-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10). Sun Wen and Lin Yun-Ju now meet in the semi-finals.
Seniority prevails
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Status prevailed in the all Chinese quarter-final clashes, Chen Meng, the no.2 seed and Liu Shiwen, the no.4 seed, both emerged successful against colleagues whose journey had started in the qualification tournament.
Chen Meng beat Gu Yuting in a full distance seven games contest (11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5); rather more comfortably, Liu Shiwen ended the hopes of Liu Fei (11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 11-5).
Gremlins strike again
Men’s Doubles: Semi-Finals
Winners of the men’s doubles title at the Liebherr 2013 World Championships in Paris but never as a partnership to progress to a final on the ITTF World Tour, the gremlins once again struck Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan. At the semi-final stage in Sapporo the no.4 seeds, they were beaten by German qualifiers Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1).
In the final Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang meet China’s Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, the no.6 seeds; they booked their place in the title decider courtesy of success against Chinese national team colleagues Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan, the no.3 seeds (11-5, 11-8, 11-5).
China prevails
Women’s Doubles: Semi-Finals
Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the top seeds, alongside Chinese national team colleagues, Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, the no.5 seeds, emerged successful at the semi-final stage of the women’s singles event.
Success but both pairs were tested, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu needed the full five games to beat Japanese teenagers Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki, the no.8 seeds (9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6); for Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, four games were needed to end the hopes of Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Cheng Hsien-Tu, the no.6 seeds (11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6).
A better day
Mixed Doubles: Semi-Finals
The previous day, it may not have been one of the best for the host nation’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, both departed in the first round of the respective men’s singles and women’s singles events.
One day later, together life was much better; at the semi-final stage of the mixed doubles competition they combined to beat China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning (11-7, 11-9, 13-15, 11-9). In the final they face another Chinese pair in the guise of Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling. The no.5 seeds, in the penultimate round, they ousted Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching, the no.4 seeds (11-6, 11-7, 11-4).
Day starts
Mixed Doubles: Semi-Finals
The host nation’s hopes rest on the shoulders on Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata; they face China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning at the semi-final stage of the mixed doubles event.
In the opposite half of the draw, also from China, Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling oppose Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Chang I-Ching.
Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Lion Japan Open: Main Draw Schedule – Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June
