2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open Magdeburg January 30-February 2
Petrissa SOLJA have her hands full with games of different events in the opening day of the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open in Magdeburg and she reached next round each time.
Russia’s Polina MIKHAILOVA was very close to create biggest upset of the day extending former world no.1 ZHU Yuling of China to full distance. Ultimate game was decided by a narrow margin. ZHU is going to play against host Petrissa SOLJA who defeated Singapore’s ZENG Jian.
Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA and Germany’s SHAN Xiaon lost their encounters against China’s players ZHANG Rui and LIU Shiwen respectively. Germany’s HAN Ying suffered at the hands of Japan’s Saki SHIBATA.
Three out of five German players were successful in the Men’s Singles opening round: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV Timo BOLL and qualifier Benedikt DUDA. Actual world no.11 OVTCHAROV beat Korea’s LIM Jonghoon (world no.43) in straight games. In the next stage he will face his teammate from Fakel-Gazprom CHUANG Chiy-Yuan of Chinese Taipei who upset Japan’s Tomokazu HARIMOTO actual World no.5.
Two more German players secured their places in the Round of 16: Benedikt DUDA upset Sweden’s Mattias FALCK while Timo BOLL prevailed against Nigeria’s Quadri ARUNA to face no.2 seed FAN Zhendong. Actual Olympic and World champion MA Long of China was too strong for young host QIU Dang who was beaten in straight games. Patrick FRANZISKA lost to Japan’s Mizuki OIKAWA.
LIANG Jingkun world no.9 has been shocked by Korea’s qualifier CHO Seungmin (no. 113) who faces Simon GAUZY in the Round of 16. Frenchman beat Korea’s LEE Sangsu. Croatia’s Andrej GACINA and Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC were eliminated by two strong Asian players LIN Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei and Jun MIZUTANI of Japan respectively. Top seed XU Xin of China was extended to full distance by Korea’s AN Jaehyun current world no.39.
Host pair Timo BOLL and Ricardo WALTHER lost to Men’s Doubles top seeds Korea’s JEOUNG Youngsik and LEE Sangsu after four games. Two more domestic doubles played today but just one won. Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Patrick FRANZISKA overcame Romania ’s Ovidiu IONESCU and Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES to set up clash with Jakub DYJAS of Poland and Cedric NUYTINCK of Belgium who eliminated host Benedikt DUDA and QIU Dang of Germany.
Belgium’s Martin ALEGRO and Florent LAMBIET prevailed against Chinese Taipei ’s CHEN Chien-An and CHUANG Chih-Yuan after full five games to secure Round 2 meeting with no.2 seeds MA Long and LIN Gaoyuan of China.
Germany’s Nina MITTELHAM and Petrissa SOLJA will be the only European pair in the Women’s Doubles quarter-finals. They eliminated Russia’s Polina MIKHAILOVA and Yana NOSKOVA to set up clash with CHO Hyojoo and SHIN Yubin. Korea’s players beat Barbora BALAZOVA (Slovakia) and Han MATELOVA (Czech Republic) in four games.
One of the most exciting games in the Mixed Doubles Round 1 was seen between Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES/Maria XIAO and Austria’s Stefan FEGERL/Sofia POLCANOVA. Spanish pair won after full five games as Slovakia’s Lubomir PISTEJ/Barbora BALAZOVA did against Korea’s LEE Sangsu/CHOI Hyojoo. Unlike them host Patrick FRANZISKA and Petrissa SOLJA finished their job in straight games over Slovakia’s WANG Yang/Tatiana KUKULKOVA.
