Shock Defeats for Olympic Medalists in Shanghai

Shanghai-China, May 27, 2012: Shock Defeats, MA Lin and WANG Hao, the respective gold and silver medallists in the Men’s Singles event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, both suffered shock third round defeats at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour China Open in Shanghai on Saturday 26th May.

Both departed in the third round of the Men’s Singles event; WANG Hao, the no.3 seed, was beaten in a close seven games full distance encounter by Hong Kong’s JIANG Tianyi, the no.12 seed (12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 3-11, 7-11, 11-8, 14-12); whilst MA Lin, the no.5 seed, suffered against Korea’s OH Sangeun, the no.9 seed (11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-3).

However, for both giant-killers there was no further progress; both suffered next round quarter-final defeats against host nation adversaries. JIANG Tianyi was beaten by WANG Liqin, the no.7 seed (11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4) with OH Sangeun losing to XU Xin, the no.4 seed (11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8).

At the semi-final stage, WANG Liqin meets MA Long, the no.1 seed, whilst XU Xin faces ZHANG Jike the no.2 seed, in all-Chinese semi-finals.

In the round of the last eight, MA Long beat Chinese Taipei’s CHUANG Chih-Yuan, the no.8 seed (11-3, 11-6, 12-14, 12-10, 11-9), before ZHANG Jike ended the hopes of Japan’s Jun MIZUTANI, the no.6 seed (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 14-12).

Similarly, in the Women’s Singles event it is an all Chinese semi-final affair. DING Ning, the no.1 seed, confronts LI Xiaoxia, the no.3 seed; whilst in the lower half of the draw, LIU Shiwen, the no.2 seed, faces FAN Ying, the no.14 seed.

FAN Ying was the one member of the quartet to cause a quarter-final upset; she beat Japan’s Kasumi ISHIKAWA, the no.4 seed (11-9, 3-11, 11-4, 11-2, 11-6).

A comprehensive win for FAN Ying and it was the same in the last eight duels for her colleagues. DING Ning accounted for compatriot WU Yang, the no.9 seed (11-2, 10-12, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7); LIU Shiwen showed no mercy in ending the hopes of Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus, the no.19 seed (11-3, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7), whilst LI Xiaoxia proved too fast for Hong Kong’s TIE Yana, the no.6 seed (11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8).

Two all-Chinese affairs on the concluding day and it will be the same in the Men’s Doubles event but not in the counterpart Women’s Doubles competition. In the former, top seeds, MA Lin and ZHANG Jike face seconds MA Long and WANG Hao; whilst in the latter DING Ning and LI Xiaoxia, the second seeds confront eighth seeds, JIANG Huajun and LEE Ho Ching from Hong Kong.

At the semi-final stage, the Hong Kong pair upset matters by ousting top seeds, Japan’s Hiroko FUJII and Misako WAKAMIYA (11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7).

Meanwhile, the two titles to be settled on the penultimate day saw success for Chinese Taipei’s CHEN Chien-An and DPR Korea’s Ri Myong Sun.

Seeded no.1 CHEN Chien-An beat Singapore’s CHEN Feng, the no.3 seed, to clinch the Under 21 Men’s Singles title (11-6, 5-11, 13-11, 12-10, 10-12, 6-11, 11-7); whilst in the Under 21 Women’s Singles competition, Ri Myong Sun, the no.3 seed, defeated Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa (7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 14-12, 12-10).

It was for Kasumi ISHIKAWA her first defeat of the year on the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour in the Under 21 Women’s Singles events; she had won on all five prior appearances. PHOTO: R MY GROS

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