by Ian Marshall, Editor
Notably, Yang Yechan beat Japan’s Sora Matsushima (13-15, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9), Wu Che-An accounted for Singapore’s Izaac Quek Yong (7-11,11-4, 8-11, 11-2). Defeats but the only defeats for Sora Matsushima and Izaac Quek Yong; thus second place in the group was the outcome and progress to the main draw.
Success against the leading name in the group; it was the very same for Japan’s Kazuki Yoshiyama, he accounted for Baldwin Chan Ho Wah (11-8, 11-7, 11-5). Alas for the young man from Hong Kong it was not the best of days; he finished in fourth position, farewell was the order of the day.
Impressive form Kazuki Yoshiyama, further down the order it was the same from colleague Yu Kayama; alongside Chinese Taipei’s Wang Guan-Ru, Huang Chang-Yu and Ho Jui-Lin, all secured first places in the their respective groups as did Korea Republic’s Kim Hyunso.
Problems for prominent names in the initial phase of action; for Chinese Taipei’s Li Hsin-Yu, the top name on duty, there were no such difficulties. He reserved first position in his group, a situation that applied also to Chinese Taipei’s Peng Chih, Japan’s Hayate Suzuki and Korea Republic’s Woo Hyenggyu.
Top seed, tops group
Likewise, in the opening phase of the junior girls’ singles event, a competition in which all players were involved, Japan’s Kaho Akae, the top seed, duly secured first place in her group as did the next in the order of merit, Chinese Taipei’s Yu Hsiu-Ting alongside Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee and Chau Wing Sze.
However, further down the order there were surprise first places; the leading name in the group experiencing defeat, as Japan experienced differing fortunes. Miwa Harimoto lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Wan-Hsuan (9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-3); conversely Reina Aso overcame Anna Hursey of Wales (11-6, 11-7, 11-2). Lee Wan-Hsuan and Reina Aso remained unbeaten to reserve top spots, for Miwa Harimoto and Anna Hursey it was second place and progress to the main draw.
Unexpected top spots in the junior girls’ singles event, it was the same for Chinese Taipei’s Kao Ming and Hung Ke-Shuan as it was for Japan’s Hikari Okubo; all excelled expectations.
Biggest surprise
Surprise first places but the biggest came in the came in the cadet boys’ singles and cadet girls’ singles events, young players from the host association causing major upsets. In the former, Singapore’s Izaac Quek Yang, the top seed, lost to Zhang Huan-Qi (3-11, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4); in the latter Japan’s Kaho Akae, the no.2 seed and runner up earlier this month at the 2019 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, was beaten Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yu-Chih (12-10, 11-4, 11-6). Zhang Huan-Qi and Chen Yu-Chih duly remained unbeaten to secure first places; for Izaac Quek Yong and Kaho Akae it was their only defeat, thus second place and a main draw reservation.
Meanwhile, in the cadet boys’ singles event Hong Kong’s Yiu Kwan To and Yu Nok, the respective second and third seeds, ended the day in first positions in their respective groups but for their colleague Baldwin Ho Wah Chan, the no.4 seed, he had to settle for third place behind Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chiou-Shin and Japan’s Kenta Takahashi. A surprise first place for Wu Chiou-Shin, it was the same for colleague Liang Chen-Wei and for Korea Republic’s Park Changgeon.
First places secured
Likewise, in the cadet girls’ singles first stage, where also all players competed, leading names Miwa Harimoto and Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yun-En duly secured first places in their respective groups.
Somewhat differently for Anna Hursey, she had to settle for runners up spot. She was beaten by Korea Republic’s Kim Taemin (11-7, 11-6, 11-5); impressively Kim Taemin remained unbeaten to top the group.
First place contrary to predictions for Kim Taemin, in the cadet girls’ singles first stage, it was the same for colleague Park Solbin as it was for Japan’s Hina Higashikawa alongside the Chinese Taipei duo of Wong Hsia-Hsin and Po Chi-Hua.
Play continues on Saturday 28th September, the finals of the singles events will be played on Sunday 29th September.
