by Ian Marshall, Editor
In fact, surely at a Platinum level tournament it was the first time ever that more qualifiers than seeds had progressed.
Men’s Singles: Round One
…………China’s Wang Chuqin repeated the success of the previous week when he had beaten Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto at the quarter-final stage in Busan; in Geelong ended the hopes of the no.4 seed, in straight games (12-10, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6).
…………Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju beat Japan’s Koki Niwa, the no.12 seed (9-11,11-5, 12-10, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6).
…………A day to forget for Japan; Jun Mizutani, the no.13 seed, lost to Denmark’s Jonathan Groth (13-11, 11-8, 9-11, 3-11, 17-15, 13-11).
…………China’s Fan Zhendong emerged successful but only just; he needed the full seven games to beat Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson (11-6, 8-11, 11-1, 8-11, 11-1, 9-11, 11-6).
…………Lin Gaoyuan, the no.2 seed, was in the fast lane; he accounted for Chinese colleague, Sun Wen (11-2, 11-5, 11-1, 11-3).
…………Xu Xin, the no.3 seed, emulated his compatriots; he overcame Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic in five games (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9).
…………Portugal’s Marcos Freitas ended the hopes of the host nation; he beat Heming Hu, the no.16 seed (11-7, 11-1, 11-7, 11-3).
…………The adventures of Korea Republic’s Cho Seungmin and Cho Daeseong, stars in the qualification stage, came to a close; Cho Seungmin lost to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the no.7 seed (11-5, 11-8, 11-2, 6-11, 11-8); Cho Daeseong was beaten by England’s Liam Pitchford, the no.14 seed (11-7, 9-11, 16-14, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8).
Women’s Singles: Round One
…………Zhu Yuling, the no.4 seed, was the biggest name to fall; she was beaten by colleague Sun Mingyang (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8).
…………China versus China resulted in defeat for the seeded player. Wang Manyu, the no.3 seed, lost to Sun Yingsha (14-12, 11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 11-2).
…………The depth of Chinese talent was underlined. Mu Zi beat Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem, the no.11 seed (11-6, 12-10, 11-2, 12-10), Zhang Qiang ousted Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching, the no.8 seed (11-13, 13-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6); Li Jiayi halted the progress of Japan’s Saki Shibata (11-9, 11-3, 11-5, 11-3).
…………Japan’s Shiho Matsudaira caused a major upset; she accounted for Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, the no.15 seed (12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 13-10).
…………Austria’s Yui Hamamoto ended Australian hopes; she recovered from a three games to nil deficit to beat Jian Fang Lay, the no.16 seed (8-11, 3-33, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4).
…………Korea Republic’s Choi Hyojoo beat Singapore’s Feng Tianwei, the no.12 seed and winner in 2014 in Sydney (13-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8).
…………Ding Ning, the no.3 seed, experienced a scare; she need the full seven games to beat 19 year old colleague, Liu Weishan (11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9).
…………Chen Meng, the top seed, asserted her authority; the Chinese star recorded a straight games success in opposition to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu (11-7, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7).
Men’s Doubles: Round One
…………Australian hopes ended, David Powell and Kane Townsend, the no.8 seeds, suffered defeat at the hands of India’s Amalraj Anthony and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (11-7, 11-3, 11-8).
…………Lin Gaoyuan and Ma Long, the no.5 seeds, prevailed but they were tested. They needed the full five games to beat Japan’s Shunsuke Togami and Yukiya Uda (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 11-6).
…………Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, the no.7 seeds and 2017 World champions, enjoyed success. They beat Hong Kong’s Lam Siu Hang and Ng Pak Nam (5-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6).
…………Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu, the top seeds, opened their account in style. They overcame the Czech Republic’s Lubomir Jancarik and Pavel Sirucek (12-10, 11-9, 11-8).
Women’s Doubles: Round One
…………Japan’s Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki caused the biggest upset; they beat the Czech Republic’s Barbora Balazova and Hana Matelova, the no.3 seeds (11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9).
…………The combination of Romania’s Bernadette Szocs and Spain’s Maria Xiao upset the order of merit. They accounted for Hong Kong’s Lee Ho Ching and Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the no.4 seeds (12-10, 12-10, 11-9).
…………Singapore’s Lin Ye and Yu Mengyu beat Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Cheng Hsien-Tzu, the no.7 seeds (11-6, 11-9, 12-10).
…………Top seeds, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu made a most imposing start; they overcame India’s Manika Batra and Archana Girish Kamath (12-10, 11-6, 11-4).
Mixed Doubles: Round One
…………Winners the previous week in Busan, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, the no.2 seeds, emerged successful but only just. They beat Spain’s Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao in five games (7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8).
…………Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching, the no.3 seeds and leaders in the Standings, overcame Korea Republic’s Lim Jonghoon and Yoo Eunchong (4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8).
