Finlandia Open started on Thursday with men’s and women’s team competitions. Just like last year Japan clinched double titles in both Events. The best men were Yosuke WATANABE and Hokuto KORIYMA and the best women Saki SEYAMA and Minami ANDO. The team competition was played for the first time only in two winning points.
Finlandia Open is held for the 28th time. The venue is an already familiar Kisakallio Sports Institute where organizers have brought 27 tables. The hall is in fact the Finnish basketball team’s practice hall. There is 30 countries in the race. On Wednesday the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence was celebrated which has been reflected in Finland’s street art in many ways.
From Friday to Saturday the men’s and women’s singles are played by 120 male and 55 female players. The game system is Finlandia Open’s traditional progressive knock out which at the end of the competition gives an accurate position for every player.
The home crowd’s favourite Benedek OLÁH is first seeded in men’s singles. On Thursday Oláh suffered a surprising loss in team competition for Russia’s Evgenii REGENTOV.
Hokuto Koriyma and Minami Ando are defending their titles in Finlandia Open.
Results
Men’s team semi-finals
Japan 1 – Spain 2-0
Japan 2 – Russia 2-0
Final
Japan 1 – Japan 2 2-0
Yosuke Watanabe – Yusuke Sadamatsu 11-4 5-11 13-11 11-5
Hokuto Koriyama – Daisuke Yosida 11-6 6-11 11-7 11-8
Women’s team semi-finals
Japan 1 – Belarus 2-0
Japan 2 – Hungary 2-1
Final
Japan 1 – Japan 2 2-1
Saki Seyama – Mai Asadi 12-10 6-11 9-11 11-3 5-11
Minami Ando – Akari Okushita 11-6 9-11 11-5 11-5
Seyama / Ando – Asadi / Okushita 11-9 11-7 9-11 5-11 13-11
