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Chinese superstars Yingsha Sun and Shidong Lin have qualified to Stage 2, scoring convincing victories against their opponents.
Sun raced off to a 3-0 lead against Tung-Chuan Chien (Chinese Taipei). A lapse in concentration cost her the fourth game, but it proved to be of little significance as the defending champion put up a strong performance. The final scoreline read – 11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 7-11.
Lin held fort against a strong start from Polish teen sensation Milosz Redzimski, recovering well after a first game loss to take the next three in quick fashion. Lin looked in much better rhythm as compared to his opening fixture, and will be hoping to continue in the same fashion in Stage 2. The final scoreline read – 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-1.
Japanese southpaw Hiroto Shinozuka scored an upset over Woojin Jang (Republic of Korea), winning 3-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 15-13).
The match saw both players playing topspin shots from behind the table to great effect and plenty of long rallies. It featured two of the fittest players on tour, and both lived up to their reputations, maneuvering the arena beautifully.
The score line is an accurate reflection of the match, as Shinozuka managed to be better than Jang ever so slightly in clutch moment, and managed to qualify to Stage 2.
Swedish star Truls Moregardh secured his place in Stage 2, with a straightforward victory against Vitor Ishiy (Brazil).
The World No. 7, making his second World Cup appearance, shrugged off a slow start to win 3-1 (12-10, 11-2, 4-11, 11-4).
“It is always tough to play in a format like this, where every game and point counts. Vitor is someone who is very fast, and was playing at a very high quality. I had to be very sharp with my receiving game, and every time I was not, he made me pay. I adjusted my tactics accordingly and it was a good win”, said Moregardh.
Yidi Wang (China) beat Jieni Shao (Portugal) 4-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-3, 11-7) to keep her qualification hopes alive.
World No. 3 Wang, rebounding from an unexpected loss to Frenchwoman Jia Nan Yuan in yesterday’s match, appeared to have shaken off any signs of rust. She delivered a commanding performance, comfortably dispatching Shao and regaining her trademark form. Needing a 4-0 victory to stand a chance of going through, Wang showed remarkable composure.
With both Wang and Yuan finishing the group stages with identical records of 5 wins and 3 losses, the anticipation now shifts to the draw ceremony later this evening, which will determine who advances from this electrifying group.
Tomokazu Harimoto (Japan) navigated a tough opponent and crowd to prevail 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11) against Youzheng Huang (China).
Huang, the reigning World Youth Champion, put up an admirable fight against Harimoto, pushing him to the brink in a valiant display during his World Cup debut. Despite his impressive performance, Huang was unable to capitalize on key moments, letting leads slip away in both the second and third games.
Drawing on his wealth of experience, Harimoto mounted an impressive comeback from 7-10 down in the third game, stringing together five consecutive points to secure a decisive 3-0 lead and confirm his progression to Stage 2.
Harimoto will look to draw confidence from this win, as he looks to mount a challenge for his first major singles trophy.
In the men’s singles action from Day 3 , Jeahyun An (Republic of Korea), produced a strong performance to win 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11) against Omar Assar (Egypt).
With just one place separating both players on the world rankings, this was expected to be a tight match. But An began at full throttle, never allowing Assar to settle in to the match.
An, renowned for his relentless attacking prowess from both wings of the table, showcased peak performance, consistently driving Assar onto the back foot and compelling him into tough defensive scenarios. He was quick to grab his opportunities and booked his place in Stage 2.
Assar, the reigning ITTF African Cup champion, produced an underwhelming performance, clearly not looking to be at his best level. He managed to win the fourth game as a consolation, but it was too late by then.
Day 3 action begins with a quick win for Japanese starlet Miwa Harimoto, who beat Doo Hoi Kem (Hong Kong, China) in four straight games (11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5).
A struggling Kem looked to be suffering from a wrist and forearm injury on her playing hand, visibly causing her distress. It was an unfortunate situation, since Kem would have fancied her chances, having lost in a close 2-3 encounter to Harimoto when they last met.
With this win, Harimoto successfully books her place in Stage 2 (knockout stages) of the tournament.
