Disappointment on Penultimate Day in Incheon

It was not the best of fortunes on the penultimate day of play, Saturday 14^th June at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Korea Open in Incheon. 

In the Women’s Singles event, Lee Ho Ching, the no.6 seed, was beaten in the second round by qualifier Lie Jie of the Netherlands (11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3), before in the Women’s Doubles event partnership with Ng Wing Nam departing in the semi-finals.

Having beaten the Korea’s Lee Eunhee and Park Youngsook in the quarter-finals (11-9, 11-3, 11-6), the Hong Kong duo, the no.4 seeds, experienced defeat against Japan’s Miu Hirano and Mima Ito, the no.1 seeds (8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-7).  

However, arguably the greatest disappointment was the defeat suffered by Doo Hoi Kem, the top seed in the Under 21 Women’s Singles event. She was beaten at the quarter-final stage by Singapore’s ZHOU Yihan.  

The Under 21 Women’s Singles event was won by Japan’s Hitomi Sato.

Occupying the no.11 seeded position in the draw, she beat Lily Zhang of the United States, the no.8 seed in the final (11-8, 11-7, 2-11, 11-9, 11-5), having at the semi-final stage recovered from a three games to nil deficit to beat Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu, the no.4 seed and the winner one week ago in China (7-11, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 13-11, 11-3).  

In the counterpart penultimate round duel, Lily Zhang had overcome Singapore’s Zhou Yihan, the no.5 seed (10-12, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10).  

Meanwhile, at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s Singles event, Li Jie was beaten by Korea’s Yang Haeun, the no.11 seed (4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5).  

The Korean meets Germany’s Han Ying, the no.13 seed in the semi-finals, whilst in the opposite half of the draw it is an all-Singaporean encounter. Feng Tianwei meets Yu Mengyu.  

At the quarter-final stage, Feng Tianwei, the no.1 seed and Yu Mengyu, the no.5 seed, both accounted for Chinese teenage opposition who had negotiated the qualification stage. Feng Tianwei beat Wang Manyu (11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-6); Yu Mengyu accounted for Chen Ke (11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 15-17, 7-11, 11-6). In the one remaining quarter-final Women’s Singles duel, Germany’s Han Ying, the no.7 seed, ended the hopes of Portugal’s Yu Fu, the no.13 seed.  

In the final of the Women’s Doubles event, Miu Hirano and Mima Ito meet Chen Ke and Wang Manyu.

At the semi-final stage Chen Ke and Wang Manyu accounted for Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu, the no.3 seeds (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7).

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

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