Qatar’s Maha Faramarzi and Aia Mohamed in action against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Cheng Hsien-Tzu during their women’s doubles Round of 16 match of the ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, yesterday. Picture:
China’s Xu Xin and Germany’s Timo Boll, the leading names on duty in the top half of the men’s singles draw, yesterday made successful starts to their campaigns at the ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open.
Xu Xin, the top seed, beat Korea Republic’s Lim Jonghoon (9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7) while two-time Qatar champion Boll, the no.4 seed, ended the hopes of colleague, Benedek Duda (11-4, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2).
Also yesterday, China’s Ma Long returned to the international scene after an eighth-month absence but not without some moments of trepidation for his fans. The no.11 seed, he needed six games to over come Frenchman, Tristan Flore (6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7).
Listed at no.82 on the current men’s world rankings, the Czech Republic’s Pavel Sirucek caused an early upset as play began in the opening round of the men’s singles event. Sirucek beat Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu, the no.6 seed and listed at no.7 in the global order; furthermore, he won in style. He prevailed in straight games (11-9, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8).
In the Women’s Singles, Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa, the no.2 seed, yesterday suffered defeat in her opening contest; she was beaten by China’s Sun Yingsha (11-7, 11-9, 14-12, 11-5).
In other matches, Gu Yuting beat Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, the no.15 seed (11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7); He Zhuojia accounted for Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee, the no.14 seed (11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 12-14, 11-6, 11-8).
Meanwhile, Wang Yidi received a walk-over when due to face Korea Republic’s injured Su Hyo Won.
Also yesterday, Cheng Hsien-Tzu caused a major first round women’s singles upset; she beat Chinese Taipei colleague, Cheng I-Ching, the no.6 seed. In a hard fought contest she prevailed in six games (11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 3-11, 13-11, 11-6).
Germany’s Han Ying prevailed, Japan’s Hitomi Sato fell, the two players in the top half of the women’s singles draw who practise the defensive art.
Han Ying beat Saki Shibata, the no.12 seed and like Hitomi Sato from Japan (11-8, 13-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-4); by the very narrowest of margins, Hitomi Sato, the no.10 seed, experienced defeat at the hands of colleague Miyu Kato (11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13).
Feng Tianwei passed her Round of 32 test with flying colours yesterday when the eighth seed beat qualification star Yoo Eunchong (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 12-10) while Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem beat Doo Hoi Kem (6-11, 1-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9, 15-13).
Queen of hearts Ding Ning sailed through to the last 16 of the Women’s Singles draw after beating Chen Szu-Yu. The top seed won in four games (12-10, 13-11, 11-7, 11-4).
In the Men’s Doubles, there was disappointment for Chinese Taipei yesterday.
Occupying the no.4 spot on the Men’s Doubles seeding list but for Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju the first round was as far as they would go in Doha, falling to Poland’s Jakub Dyjas and Belgium’s Cedric Nuytinck across five games (12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7).
Seeded one position lower in fifth, another Chinese Taipei partnership suffered defeat at the first attempt as Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan lost out to Germany’s Boll and Patrick Franziska (11-4, 11-8, 11-3).
Putting up a respectable fight but England’s Paul Drinkhall and Sam Walker will play no further part in the Men’s Doubles tournament after China’s Lin Gaoyuan and Ma Long, no.7 seeds, recovered from a 0-1 deficit to beat the qualifiers 3-1 (10-12, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8).
Elsewhere, the host nation had its hopes dashed with the mixed association partnership of Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu and Spain’s Alvaro Robles proving too strong for Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab and Abdulrahman Al Naggar (9-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-9).
In the Women’s Doubles Round One, Hina Hayata and Mima Ito made a strong opening to their Women’s Singles campaign in Doha after the no.1 seeds from Japan comfortably negotiated their meeting with Korean qualifiers Choi Hyojoo and Yoo Eunchong in three straight games (11-7, 11-8, 11-6).
Success and a hint of revenge for Hina Hayata, who had been eliminated in the final round of Women’s Singles qualifying by Yoo Eunchong only the day before.
China’s Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu yesterday produced a confident performance at the first hurdle of the Women’s Doubles event with a straight games victory over Chinese Taipei’s Liu Hsing-Yin and Su Pei-Ling (11-6, 11-9, 11-7) sending the second seeds through.
The news was just as positive for Ding Ning and Wang Yidi, who accounted for Hong Kong’s Ng Wing Nam and Soo Wai Yam Minnie without dropping a game to the fifth seeds (11-4, 11-9, 11-8).
