by Ian Marshall, Editor

High class play was the order of day as six matches were completed in each discipline.

Men’s Singles

Fierce competition, both Xu Xin and Ma Long experienced tense times.

Xu Xin needed seven games to beat Xu Chenhao, runner up on the ITTF World Tour in 2013 in Yokohama; likewise Ma Long was extended the full distance by the pen-hold skills of Xue Fei, the young man crowned World Junior champion in 2017 in Riva del Garda.

Stage One: Thursday 2nd January

Fan Zhendong bt Zhang Yudong 11-7, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5
Zhou Qihao bt Zhao Zihao 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 15-13, 11-6
Lin Gaoyuan bt Ma Te 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 13-11
Ma Long bt Xue Fei 12-10, 13-15, 7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-8
Liang Jingkun bt Zhou Kai 11-7, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5
Xu Xin bt Xu Chenhao 11-7, 10-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5

Stage Two: Friday 3rd January

Fan Zhendong v Lin Gaoyuan
Xu Xin v Liang Jingkun
Ma Long v Zhou Qihao

Women’s Singles

Meanwhile, in the women’s singles event, for the leading names it was success in style.

Most notably for Ding Ning it was a straight games success against Zhang Rui; for Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng it was success with just one game dropped, as respective wins were posted against Gu Yuting and Liu Fei.

Alas, for the Qian Tianyi, 2018 World Junior Champion, who had excelled to book her place in the Agricultural Bank of China 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, it was a straight games defeat at the hands of Zhu Yuling.

The notable absentee is Liu Shiwen, she sustained a foot injury and withdrew before play started. She is assisting with commentary.

Stage One: Thursday 2nd January

Chen Xingtong bt He Zhuoija 12-10, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9
Sun Yingsha bt Gu Yuting 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 13-11
Ding Ning bt Zhang Rui 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
Zhu Yuling bt Qian Tianyi 11-4, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
Chen Meng bt Liu Fei 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7, 11-1
Wang Manyu bt Wang Yidi 11-8, 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5

Stage Two: Friday 3rd January

Chen Meng v Chen Xingtong
Sun Yingsha v Wang Manyu
Ding Ning v Zhu Yuling