Croatia Open: NI Xialian inspired by Zagreb

April 13, 2018
10:34 pm
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Luxembourg`s player gold medalist at the 2002 ITTF European Championships secures her place in the Women`s Singles semi-finals

Sixteen years after her gold medal at the 2002 ITTF European Championships 54-year-old NI Xialian proves that she likes to play in the city of Zagreb reaching semi-finals of the Women`s Singles event at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Croatia Open. Luxembourg`s player beat two strong opponents today April 13th to set up her clash against 2015 European champion Elizabeta Samara. First she beat actual ITTF-Europe Top 16 winner Bernadette SZOCS in straight games then she overcame Russia`s Polina MIKHAILOVA.

Four representatives of Old Continent will play in the Men`s Singles semi-finals two top seeds from Germany Ricardo WALTHER (no. 1) and Benedikt DUDA (no. 2) France`s Can AKKUZU and Greece`s Panagiotis GIONIS. WALTHER and DUDA beat Mizuki OIKAWA and Kenji MATSUDAIRA respectively in the two Germany-Japan clashes. One of most thrilling matches was one between AKKUZU and Finland`s Benedek OLAH decided after full seven games.

Men`s Singles quarter-finals

Ricardo WALTHER (GER) – Mizuki OIKAWA (JPN) 4:1 (11:7 11:6 6:11 11:8 11:7)

Can AKKUZU (FRA) – Benedek OLAH (FIN) 4:3 (8:11 11:6 8:11 11:8 9:11 11:9 11:9)

Panagiotis GIONIS (GRE) – Mohamed EL-BEIALI (EGY) 4:2 (11:8 8:11 9:11 11:3 12:10 11:4)

Benedikt DUDA (GER) – Kenji MATSUDAIRA (JPN) 4:3 (7:11 7:11 6:11 11:6 11:7 11:6 11:6)

Women`s Singles quarter-finals

Hitomi SATO (JPN) – Maki SHIOMI (JPN) 4:3 (8:11 11:2 11:6 9:11 11:8 7:11 11:8)

Saki SHIBATA (JPN) – Honoka HASHIMOTO (JPN) 4:2 (9:11 11:9 11:4 11:2 6:11 11:5)

Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) – Georgina POTA (HUN) 4:2 (5:11 11:6 7:11 11:7 14:12 11:8)

NI Xia Lian (LUX) – Polina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) 4:3 (11:8 10:12 11:4 3:11 11:7 10:12 11:9)

Men`s Doubles semi-finals

Nandor ECSEKI (HUN) / Adam SZUDI (HUN) – Andrea LANDRIEU (FRA) / Romain LORENTZ (FRA) 3:1 (11:7 3:11 11:9 11:5)

PENG Wang-Wei (TPE) / SUN Chia-Hung (TPE) – Benedikt DUDA (GER) / Ricardo WALTHER (GER) 3:1 (9:11 11:4 11:9 11:6)

Women`s Doubles semi-finals

Honoka HASHIMOTO (JPN) / Hitomi SATO (JPN) – Barbora BALAZOVA (SVK) / Hana MATELOVA (CZE) 3:0 (11:8 11:9 11:8)

Mirela DURAK (CRO) / Mateja JEGER (CRO) – Matilda EKHOLM (SWE) / Georgina POTA (HUN) 3:1 (8:11 11:2 11:8 11:7)

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