Wang/Sun claim semi-final spot
Mixed Doubles: Quarter-finals
The effervescent duo of Wang Chuqin with Sun Yingsha were too good for the Hungarian pairing of Adam Szudi with Szandra Pergel, as the Chinese won 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-5) to claim a place in the semis.
For Ho Kwan Kit with Lee Ho Ching, it was a longer duel but a successful one as the athletes from Hong Kong China won against Austria’s Stefan Fegerl with Sofia Polcanova 3-2 (8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6), in a stressful watch for the fans, and yet enjoyable one to end the day.
Calderano moves with purpose
Men’s Singles: Round of 32
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano had a very good showing this evening in Doha, as he overpowered Indian Amalraj Anthony in a straight games win (12-10, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6), in under 26 minutes.
Emmanuel Lebesson from France at table 4 however, could not handle the speed of play from Japan’s Koki Niwa, as the world no. 12 won 4-1 (11-8, 14-12, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6), and moves on to the round of 16.
Wong exits, Pitchford doesn’t
Men’s Singles: Round of 32
Yukiya Uda was responsible for the exit of Hong Kong China’s Wong Chun Ting, as the Japanese youngster won 4-1 (10-12, 14-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8) despite losing the first game.
England’s Liam Pitchford in the mean time continued his good run of wins as he beat Spain’s Alvaro Robles 4-2 (11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9) in an entertaining 48-minute match.
Wang stops the Freight train
Men’s Singles: Round of 32
Wang Chuqin put an end to the campaign of Portugal’s Marcos Freitas in a powerful performance that was particularly enjoyed by the fans. Wang won 4-0 (11-3, 11-5, 13-11, 11-4), with there being no point in the match where he was suffering a deficit against Freitas.
For another European though, it was a very good afternoon. Sweden’s Mattias Falck saw off the challenge of Jin Takuya, winning 4-1 (1-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9), with the Asian unable to break through Falck’s defence.
Jon is a man in form
Men’s Singles: Round of 32
Sweden’s Jon Persson is very much an athlete on the hunt for a medal right now, as he defeated host nation’s Ahmad Khalil Al-Mohannadi 4-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-2) in 15 minutes.
The big news however, was China’s Xu Chenhao straight games win over German veteran Patrick Franziska (11-6, 11-6, 11-5, 11-2) . Xu was impeccable in his timing of retreat and attack versus the experienced Franziska and it certainly is an upset here in Doha.
Chinese elite move on
Women’s Singles: Round of 32
Ding Ning and Wang Yidi found their form in some style as they both coasted to wins over Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin and fellow Chinese athlete Zhang Rui respectively.
Ding beat Yang in straight games, displaying her Olympian form and clear intention to settle for nothing less than gold (11-8, 1-8, 12-10, 11-6). For Wang, it was a good challenge to affirm as she won 4-1 (11-8, 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 14-12) against Zhang.
Feng wins domestic
Women’s Singles: Round of 32
Feng Tianwei was involved in a rather quick domestic against fellow Singaporean Yu Mengyu, as the veteran came out on top, winning in straight games (11-5, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2) and in under 16 minutes.
Meanwhile, Mima Ito was taking no prisoners as she beat China’s Gu Yuting 4-1 (9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4). There was an air of smart play by the Japanese who knew just when to speed up her shots and just when to sit back and wait for the counter.
Defending champion moves through
Women’s Singles: Round of 32
Seeded fourth and the defending women’s singles champion in Doha, Wang Manyu enjoyed a relatively trouble free start to her title defence as she beat fellow Chinese compatriot Sun Mingyang 4-0 in the Round of 32 (11-8, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5).
Sun Yingsha also picked up a victory in the 2.50pm session, seeing off Miyuu Kihara (13-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-7).
Sofia Polcanova wins European head-to-head
Women’s Singles: Round of 32
Austria’s Sofia Polcanova has sealed her spot in the last 16 of the women’s singles event in Doha, prevailing in an all-European contest against Spain’s Galia Dvorak on table 1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6).
Also making an appearance in the 2.00pm session ninth seed Miu Hirano made a winning start to her campaign, beating fellow Japanese representative and reigning World Junior champion Miyu Nagasaki 4-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4). China’s Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling progress with straight-game victories.
Second seeds follow suit
Men’s Doubles: Round of 16
With the top seeds progressing in the previous session, attention shifted to the pair seeded second for the men’s doubles event. Competing on table 4 Hong Kong China’s Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting showed they mean business with a straight games win over Indian opponents Amalraj Anthony and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (11-9, 11-3, 11-4).
There was also a full distance affair for spectators to enjoy on table 1 as the French line-up of Tristan Flore and Emmanuel Lebesson held off Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson and Truls Moregard (11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6).
Unrelenting force!
Men’s Doubles: Round of 16
China enjoyed a breathtaking first round of men’s doubles action in the 12.40pm session as both the country’s partnerships storming to victory.
On table 1 Ma Long and Xu Xin breezed past Sweden’s Anton Kallberg and Jon Persson 3-0 in little over 16 minutes (11-5, 11-4, 11-5) and two minutes less were required over on table 3 as Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin showed their ruthless side against Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic and Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej (11-6, 11-3, 11-1).
French stars topple fifth seeds
Women’s Doubles: Round of 16
Stephanie Loeuillette and Yuan Jia Nan are through to the women’s doubles quarter-finals following a fine opening round display from the French pair, battling past the fifth seeded Hong Kong China duo of Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching in five games (8-11, 11-6, 3-11, 12-10, 11-7).
In the two remaining fixture that were played out, Japan’s Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa proved too strong for Belarus’ Nadezhda Bogdanova and Daria Trigolos (11-6, 11-9, 11-0) while Chinese no.3 seeds Chen Meng and Ding Ning saw off Denmark’s Stefanie Christensen and Belgium’s Nathalie Marchetti (11-4, 11-6, 11-4).
Big test, Balazova and Matelova take the plaudits
Women’s Doubles: Round of 16
Trailing 1-2 in a best of five games encounter, Slovakia’s Barbora Balazova and Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova were forced to dig deep as the sixth seeds survived a 3-2 contest (11-6, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7).
We also lost two seeded combinations in the 11.20am session: Singapore’s Lin Ye and Yu Mengyu needed just four games to eliminate Polish seventh seeds Natalia Bajor and Natalia Partyka (13-15, 11-8, 11-9, 14-12) while the pair seeded one position lower, Qatar’s Maha Faramarzi and Kholoud Hussain lost out to Hong Kong China’s Soo Wai Yam Minnie and Zhu Chengzhu (11-3, 11-4, 11-2).
Surprise or not?
Mixed Doubles: Round of 16
China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha have struck an impressive round one win in Doha with a 3-0 victory over second seeded Hong Kong China pair Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem (11-9, 14-12, 11-7). A shock victory or not? Technically from a doubles standpoint the answer is yes but Wang and Sun are two of China’s finest young stars who outrank the Hong Kong China players in the singles world rankings lists.
Third seeds Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova are also out of the race after the Slovak partnership suffered defeat at the hands of France’s Emmanuel Lebesson and Yuan Jia Nan (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8).
Top seeds start the day with a win
Mixed Doubles: Round of 16
Runners-up at the 2019 World Tour Grand Finals in December, Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito continue to look a formidable combination after striking a convincing opening round win in Doha. The Japanese pair needed just 16 minutes to see off Serbian qualifiers Marko Jevtovic and Sabina Surjan (11-5, 11-5, 11-7).
Two more fixtures favoured the seeded entries on display in the opening session of play but it was defeat for German no.6 seeds Patrick Franziska and Petrissa Solja, who lost out to Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs in a five-game thriller (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6).
Time for action
Here we go – it’s time for the start of the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open! Check out the full day’s fixture schedule below:
