by Ian Marshall, Editor
The women were more circumspect; the men showed no respect.
Men’s Singles: Round One (Last 32)
…………Japan’s Koki Niwa, the no.3 seed, suffered at the hands of Portugal’s Marcos Freitas (13-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-9).
…………Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu, the no.5 seed, lost to Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic (11-6, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6).
…………Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, the no.8 seed, was beaten by Japan’s Yuta Tanaka (11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 15-13).
…………Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto was in no mood for charity, the top seed, he accounted for China’s Zhu Linfeng (11-7, 11-9, 14-12, 11-6).
…………Zhao Zihao emerged the only Chinese player to progress to round two; he upset the order of merit by beating Frenchman Simon Gauzy, the no.12 seed (11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4).
Women’s Singles: Round One (Last 32)
…………Bronze medallist at the Qoros 2015 World Championships, Mu Zi underlined her quality; she beat Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, the no.10 seed (13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10).
…………The defensive skills of China’s Wu Yang were demonstrated to the full; she accounted for Hungary’s Georgina Pota, the no.15 seed (11-8, 11-4, 4-11, 11-8, 11-5).
…………Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the 2015 European champion and no.14 seed, was beaten by China’s Fan Siqi (11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 11-4).
…………China’s Chen Xingtong, the no.11 seed, won the closest match of the round; eventually she overcame Japan’s Airi Abe (9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-13, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11).
…………Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa, twice a previous winner in Panagyurishte, made a most imposing start; she accounted for Portugal’s Shao Jieni (11-6, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6).
Men’s Doubles: Round One (Last 16)
…………Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, the top seeds, experienced defeat at the hands of Japan’s Yukiya Uda and Kazuhiro Yoshimura (10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7).
…………Reigning European champions, Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn, the no.5 seeds, lost to China’s Xia Yizheng and Zheng Peifeng (5-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-3).
Women’s Doubles: Round One (Last 16)
…………The combination of Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova and the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova emerged the biggest casualties; the no.3 seeds, they were beaten by Romania’s Daniela Monteiro Dodean and Elizabeta Samara (11-5, 11-7, 13-11).
…………Top seeds, Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee and Yang Haeun made a successful start but they were tested; they beat India’s Manika Batra and Archana Girish Kamath but it was a close call (8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 13-11).
Mixed Doubles: Round One (Last 16)
…………Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu and Jeon Jihee, the top seeds, experienced defeat at the hands of Chinese defenders, Ma Te and Wu Yang (11-8, 11-5, 10-12, 11-6).
…………Teenagers Cho Daeseong and Shin Yubin balanced the books for the Korea Republic; they accounted for Hungary’s Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel, the no.4 seeds (8-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6).
