Xu and Liu off to the races

Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen wasted no time as the mixed doubles round of 16 began Thursday morning in Busan: Facing Puerto Ricans Brian Afanador and Adriana Diaz, the well-calibrated Chinese pair shot out to an 11-1 lead in the first game and never looked back. Margin of victory: 3-0 (11-1, 11-7, 11-5). Onward.

Last year at the Korean Open…

As main draw action gets undeway in Busan, it’s well worth harking back to this time about a year ago when Jang Woojin became the first player in ITTF history ever to complete the trifecta of table tennis on the World Tour, winning the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the Korea Open in Daejeon.

Korea fans are hoping for the same result, and why not? While the triple crown is rare, it’s not impossible. Just ask Xu Xin, who became the second player to do it at last month’s Japan Open.

Day One begins

Here we go! It’s time for the opening day of main draw action at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour SHINHAN Korea Open. Here’s a look at the day’s schedule: