Last semi-final spot goes to Mima Ito
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Just one match remained on day two’s fixture schedule and that was the women’s singles quarter-final showdown between Mima Ito and Feng Tianwei.
Victorious in her last four meetings against the Singapore player, Ito made it five in a row with a 4-2 success this time out (11-6, 11-7, 12-14, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7). The result means Ito takes on Ding Ning for the chance to reach the final.
Chen Meng and Ding Ning take positives
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
With Wang Manyu securing her passage to the semi-finals, Chen Meng joins her in the top half of the draw after clinching a fine 4-1 victory over Wang Yidi (11-5, 11-8, 13-15, 11-6, 11-6). In the lower section of the draw Ding Ning proved too strong for Chen Xingtong (11-6, 11-4, 11-8, 11-1) and will face either one of Japan’s Mima Ito or Singapore’s Feng Tianwei.
Wang Manyu avoids same fate
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
Still processing Ma Long’s shock departure? Well the show must go on and it does with quarter-finals action from the women’s singles draw.
Fourth seed Wang Manyu, who is the defending women’s singles champion, keeps her hopes alive for a second successive gold in Doha following her 4-2 victory over the player seeded one position below her in Zhu Yuling (11-3, 11-3, 13-15, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10).
Defending champion is out!!!: Wang Chuqin 4-3 Ma Long
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Who saw this coming!? Defending champion Ma Long won’t be taking home the men’s singles title on offer in Doha in 2020 after falling to a shock seven-game defeat at the hands of Chinese compatriot Wang Chuqin!
A thrilling affair featuring world class rallies throughout, Ma held the games lead three times during the match but failed to capitalise as teenager Wang pulled off one of the standout results of his career to date (13-15, 14-12, 4-11, 11-8, 3-11, 13-11, 11-6).
Brazilian star eliminated!
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Former finalist here in Doha but Hugo Calderano’s time at the 2020 Qatar Open is up! Facing French qualifier Simon Gauzy in the Round of 16, Calderano made a promising start but couldn’t carry on the momentum in a five-game encounter (6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-1, 11-8).
Top seed Fan Zhendong safely progresses, coming out on top against Xu Chenhao in under 25 minutes (11-4, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3).
Chuang continues to cause Team Japan problems
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
Victory over Tomokazu Harimoto one round earlier, Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan has added another Japanese player to the list following a huge comeback effort against Yukiya Uda (9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5). Japan also suffered defeat on table 1 with Koki Niwa losing out to China’s Xu Xin (15-13, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8).
Spectators were also treated to an epic fight back from Liang Jingkun, who recovered from 0-3 down to beat Jun Mizutani 4-3 (10-12, 6-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-2, 11-8).
Stunning display as Persson beats Swedish colleague!
Men’s Singles: Round of 16
An incredible showing from Jon Persson over on table 6 who has defied expectations to secure his place in the men’s singles quarter-finals. Taking on seventh seed and fellow Swede Mattias Falck, Persson dominated the early stages of the tie and shut off any hopes of a Falck comeback with a gutsy performance across five games (11-7, 11-5, 11-3, 10-12, 13-11).
On table 4 Liam Pitchford and Vladimir Samsonov have just played out a breathtaking match: trailing 3-1 on games, Samsonov managed to reduce the deficit to one and came mightily close to forcing a decider but nerves of steel saw Pitchford save a combined total of five game points before going on to win game six and the match (11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 8-11, 18-16).
Wang and Zhu follow suit
Women’s Doubles: Semi-finals
The second pair through to the final are Chinese competitors Wang Manyu and Zhu Yuling. Second seeds Wang and Zhu were pushed right down to the wire in their encounter with Japanese no.4 seeds Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa but eventually came good 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8).
Top seeds collect another win
Women’s Doubles: Semi-finals
Seeded first and one of the favourites to land gold in the women’s doubles event, Japan’s Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki have advanced to the title deciding match with the teenage stars showing great togetherness in their meeting with Singapore’s Lin Ye and Yu Mengyu (11-3, 14-12, 8-11, 12-10).
English qualifiers through to the final!!!
Men’s Doubles: Semi-finals
Required to negotiate the qualification tournament prior to the main event, now England’s Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford find themselves with a spot in the men’s doubles final!
The second seeded Hong Kong China combination of Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting appeared to had steadied the ship after successfully recovering from 2-0 down to draw level at 2-2, but an inspirational display from Drinkhall and Pitchford in game five saw the English duo complete a dramatic 3-2 upset (11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-7).
One-way traffic in all-China affair
Men’s Doubles: Semi-finals
Anticipated to be a tightly contested battle, but in the end the men’s doubles semi-final over on table 1 provided a decisive victory. Ma Long and Xu Xin looked simply unbeatable, finding their combinations without a hitch as the top seeded pair stormed past Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin by a 3-0 score-line (11-6, 11-9, 11-9).
Wang/Sun join
Mixed Doubles: Semi-finals
The Mixed Doubles final of the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open will be a Chinese-Japanese duel, as the prodigious duo of Wang Chuqin with Sun Yingsha defeated Spain’s Alvaro Robles with Maria Xiao.
Winning 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-5), there was a huge cheer in the Aspire Academy Hall as the two youngsters moved emphatically around the table, in complete tandem. How will they fare against the experience of Mima Ito with Jun Mizutani?
Jun/Mima reach finals
Mixed Doubles: Semi-finals
The Japanese power pairing were clinical in their match against Hong Kong China’s Ho Kwan Kit with Lee Ho Ching, winning in straight games (11-7, 11-6, 11-5).
Mizutani with Ito took all of 20 minutes to assure the podium finish, and showcased a superior calmness whenever their Asian colleagues tried to put too much pressure with faster shots. Will they be stopped in the final later tomorrow?
Domestic winners galore as Sun exits
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Chen Xingtong and Mima Ito were feeling the domestic pressure this afternoon as they took on their compatriots Sun Yingsha and Hitomi Sato respectively. However, it was the performance from Chen that pulled focus as she eliminated world no.2 Sun Yingsha.
Winning in straight games, Chen was in a different mood altogether as she kept Sun on the backfoot and prevented the young speedster from any of her favorite shots (11-9, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4). For Ito, it was a good 4-1 (11-7, 11-4, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7) win as well, accounting for Sato in a deeply impressive fashion.
Imperious Chen unstoppable
Women’s Singles: Round of 16
Is there any stopping the runaway train that is Chen Meng? The general response to that question seems to be ‘no’ as Austria’s Sofia Polcanova found out today. The Chinese sailed into a 4-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7) victory, in under 28 minutes and looks unlikely to hit a roadblock anytime soon.
Meanwhile, her compatriot Zhu Yuling took on – and saw off – the Japanese Sakura Mori, winning in straight games (11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9) to reach the final eight.
Bittersweet morning for Hong Kong China
Men’s Doubles: Quarter-finals
The fans from Hong Kong China had a conflicted time this morning as Wong Chun Ting with Ho Kwan Kit emerged victorious against Togami Shunsuke with Yukiya Uda, but Lam Siu Hang with Ng Pak Ham could not replicate that performance as they lost out to Liam Pitchford with Paul Drinkhall.
Wong with Ho found it rather difficult against the youthful exuberance of Japan’s Togami with Uda, but managed to turn things around mid-way to win the match 3-2 (11-5, 2-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5). However their compatriots Ng with Lam had no such luck versus the Englishmen, as Pitchford with Drinkhall won 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5).
No way through for Balazova/Matelova
Women’s Doubles: Quarter-finals
The Czech Republic pairing were halted in their tracks by the Chinese power duo of Wang Manyu with Zhu Yuling – two athletes consistently looking to out do the other, which makes for a very strong partnership. It was a 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-4) win for the Asians, defeating Barbora Balazova with Hana Matelova in 15 minutes.
Over at table 4, Miyu Nagasaki with Miyuu Kihara also landed a straight games win (11-7, 11-7, 11-6), this time over Hong Kong China’s Zhu Chengzhu with Soo Wai Yam Minnie, sending the Japanese duo into the semi-finals.
