Other Events | 11 Dec 2015
European trio booked quarterfinal places in Lisbon
Photo: Courtesy ITTF
GAC GROUP 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals
Аt the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in the Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon three European players will play in the quarterfinal of the Men's and Women's Singles Event. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany, Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus and Germany's HAN Ying emerged successfully in the second day of the play in Portugal.
Best ranked European player Germany's Dimitrij OVTCHAROV booked his place in the quarterfinal of the Men's Singles Event after close and tense game against Japan's Jun MIZUTANI (7-11, 6-11, 16-14, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11). Experienced player prevailed in the duel between Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus and Japan's Koki NIWA (11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8). Top seeded MA Long proved too strong for the host nation's favorite. Marcos FREITAS suffered in five games.
In the Round of 16 of the Women's Singles Event, Germany's HAN Ying withstood the spirited comeback of Romania's Elizabeta SAMARA (11-5, 7-11, 4-11 ,5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 6-11) to secure the place among eight best players.
In the men’s Doubles Event, Tiago APOLONIA and João MONTEIRO, the no.8 seeds, beat the Korean combination of JEONG Sangeun and LEE Sangsu, the no.3 seeds (11-7, 8-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-7).
Earlier in the quarterfinal, Marcos FREITAS and Andrej GACINA recovered from a two games to nil and three games to two deficit to force a decider; they establish a 3-1 lead. Masataka MORIZONO and Yuya OSHIMA won the next nine points and secured victory on their second match point; the Portuguese “Time Out” at 5-3 failed to stop the Japanese momentum (11-7, 12-10, 11-13, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-4).
CHO Eonrae and KIM Donghyun, the no.7 seeds, suffered at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s CHIANG Hung-Chieh and HUANG Sheng-Sheng, the no.2 seeds (11-7, 11-7, 13-15, 11-9, 8-11, 11-3). JUNG Youngsik and KIM Minseok, the top seeds, beat Hong Kong’s TANG Peng and WONG Chun Ting, the no.6 seeds (11-8, 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 11-5).
At the semi-final stage JUNG Youngsik and KIM Minseok meet MASATAKA Morizono and YUYA Oshima, Tiago APOLONIA and João MONTEIRO confront CHIANG Hung-Chieh and HUANG Sheng-Sheng.
In the quarterfinal of the Women’s Doubles Event, JIANG Huajun and TIE Yana, the no.5 seeds, overcame the German combination of SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA, the no.4 seeds (11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7). At the semi-final stage, Miu HIRANO and Mima ITO meet JIANG Huajun and TIE Yana; DING Ning and ZHU Yuling opposes JEON Jihee and YANG Haeun.
Japan’s Yuya OSHIMA and Singapore’s LIN Ye won the respective Under 21 Men’s Singles and Under 21 Women’s Singles titles. At the final hurdle, OSHIMA, the no.3 seed, accounted for Denmark’s ZHAI Yujia, the no.2 seed (11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8; LIN Ye, the no.4 seed, overcame Japan’s Yui HAMAMOTO, the no.2 seed (12-10, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8).
