Other Events | 14 Feb 2015

FREITAS stretched ZHANG Jike to full distance

Semi-finalists one year ago, their best ever finish on the ITTF World Tour, the German partnership of HAN Ying and Irene IVANCAN went one step better today. In the penultimate round of the Women’s Doubles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Kuwait

Semi-finalists one year ago, their best ever finish on the ITTF World Tour, the German partnership of HAN Ying and Irene IVANCAN went one step better today. In the penultimate round of the Women’s Doubles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, occupying the no.6 seeded position in the competition, they accounted for Hong Kong’s DOO Hoi Kem and LEE Ho Ching.

China dominated proceedings at the quarter-final stage of the Men’s Singles event. The top four names on the current Men’s World Rankings entered the arena, all four emerged successful. XU Xin followed by ZHANG Jike, FAN Zhendong and MA Long; all booked semi-final places.

The one player to be tested was Zhang Jike, the no.4 seed. He was extended the full seven games distance by Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS the no.6 seed (9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4).

Earlier in the day the Hong Kong pair, seeded one place higher than the Germans, having been in outstanding form. Sensationally they had accounted for China’s LI Xiaoxia and LIU Shiwen, the no.2 seeds, earlier in the day at the quarter-final stage. HAN Ying and Irene IVANCAN emerged successful in four games (11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9).

Thailand’s CHIANG Hung-Chieh and HUANG Sheng-Sheng, the top seeds in the Men’s Doubles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, duly booked their place in the final; they accounted for the Korean partnership of JEONG Sangeun and LEE Sangsu but they came perilously close to defeat.

Trailing by two games to one, they saved match points in the fourth game before eventually emerging successful in a full distance duel (8-11, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12, 11-5).At the semi-final stage XU Xin and ZHANG Jike beat colleagues FAN Zhendong and MA Long, the no.5 seeds (11-4, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6).

At the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles Event DING Ning plays ZHU Yuling, LI Xiaoxia opposes LIU Shiwen