by Kabir Nagpal
The first session of Day Two at WTT Macao saw Battle Two in play as winners from Battle One were presented opposition from the 5th-8th seeded entries at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
Wang Chuqin 3-1 Wong Chun Ting (11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5)
Contributing to the overall trend of seeded players toppling the winners from Battle One, Wang Chuqin trumped Wong Chun Ting in a high-pace match at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
Wang took the lead, a comfortable 2-0 one at that, pilling the pressure on his counterpart from Hong Kong China. A solid response in game three restored a glimmer of hope on Wong’s part, but China’s Wang stayed cool to extend his stay.
Wang Yidi 3-0 Jeon Jihee (11-5, 11-2, 11-5)
Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee proved unable to push forward with her brilliant start to life in WTT after she lost out to China’s Wang Yidi in straight games.
Seventh seed Wang was in control from the start of the match, never letting up any space for her Asian colleague to exploit. However, Jeon can take heart from her performance in Macao – and she will likely to have a strong say at future WTT events!
Mattias Falck 3-0 Gustavo Tsuboi (11-5, 11-10, 11-10)
Seeded player doing very well against the rising stars from Battle One has been a common trend so far on Day Two in Macao, and the trend continued as Mattias Falck saw off the challenge of Gustavo Tsuboi thanks in part to two Sudden Death point winners.
The Swede took the first game with his excellent forehand on show, but as the Brazilian found his way into the match it was the final elusive point in two games that proved to be a step too far. Who will pick the sixth seed in the men’s Elimination Finals tomorrow?
Feng Tianwei 3-0 Lily Zhang (11-5, 11-4, 11-6)
These two are fast making a habit of seeing each other – and so their rivalry continues to bloom!
In yet another encounter between the Singapore icon and USA star, Feng Tianwei emerged victorious this time out with a stunning show of composure to win in straight games against the in-form Lily Zhang. The sixth seed was imperious against the winner from Battle One, and will now enter the Elimination Finals tomorrow.
What’s coming next?
