China secures first gold on offer

The top step of the mixed doubles podium has been reserved by China after Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling emerged victorious over the host nation’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata.

Edging to a narrow opening game success, from that point onward it was one-way traffic in the Chinese duo’s favour with no.5 seeds Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling picking up games two and three in convincing style to beat their unseeded opponents by a 3-0 score-line (12-10, 11-6, 11-5).

First time

Never previously in an ITTF World Tour men’s singles semi-final, against the odds China’s Sun Wen and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju emerged successful in their quarter-final encounters.

Required to qualify, excelling when rallies occurred, Sun Wen beat colleague Liang Lingkun in six games (11-6, 13-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7); the success coming after Lin Yun-Ju, the no.16 seed, had given a master class in control and anticipation to overcome Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the no.7 seed (13-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10). Sun Wen and Lin Yun-Ju now meet in the semi-finals.

Seniority prevails

Status prevailed in the all Chinese quarter-final clashes, Chen Meng, the no.2 seed and Liu Shiwen, the no.4 seed, both emerged successful against colleagues whose journey had started in the qualification tournament.

Chen Meng beat Gu Yuting in a full distance seven games contest (11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5); rather more comfortably, Liu Shiwen ended the hopes of Liu Fei (11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 11-5).

Gremlins strike again

Winners of the men’s doubles title at the Liebherr 2013 World Championships in Paris but never as a partnership to progress to a final on the ITTF World Tour, the gremlins once again struck Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan. At the semi-final stage in Sapporo the no.4 seeds, they were beaten by German qualifiers Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1).

In the final Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang meet China’s Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, the no.6 seeds; they booked their place in the title decider courtesy of success against Chinese national team colleagues Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan, the no.3 seeds (11-5, 11-8, 11-5).

China prevails

Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the top seeds, alongside Chinese national team colleagues, Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, the no.5 seeds, emerged successful at the semi-final stage of the women’s singles event.

Success but both pairs were tested, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu needed the full five games to beat Japanese teenagers Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki, the no.8 seeds (9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6); for Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, four games were needed to end the hopes of Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Cheng Hsien-Tu, the no.6 seeds (11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6).

A better day

The previous day, it may not have been one of the best for the host nation’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, both departed in the first round of the respective men’s singles and women’s singles events.

One day later, together life was much better; at the semi-final stage of the mixed doubles competition they combined to beat China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning (11-7, 11-9, 13-15, 11-9). In the final they face another Chinese pair in the guise of Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling. The no.5 seeds, in the penultimate round, they ousted Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching, the no.4 seeds (11-6, 11-7, 11-4).

Day starts

The host nation’s hopes rest on the shoulders on Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata; they face China’s Fan Zhendong and Ding Ning at the semi-final stage of the mixed doubles event.

In the opposite half of the draw, also from China, Xu Xin and Zhu Yuling oppose Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Chang I-Ching.

Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Lion Japan Open: Main Draw Schedule – Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June