Other Events | 8 Nov 2018
Bernadette SZOCS continues in two out of three events
Photo: Courtesy ITTF
Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Platinum LIEBHERR Austrian Open. FRANZISKA extends BOLL to full distance
Germany’s Timo BOLL and England’s Liam PITCHFORD will represent Europe in the Men’s Singles Round of 16 at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Platinum LIEBHERR Austrian Open, as they have been successful in the opening round of main draw. Actual world no. 3 BOLL was extended to full distance by his countryman Patrick FRANZISKA, while PITCHFORD (no. 24) has prevailed against Austria’s Robert GARDOS in five games.
Ricardo WALTHER was very close to the best 16, leading 3-1 against former Asian champion Jun MIZUTANI, but Japanese managed to win fifth set by a narrow margin and next two games. One more Germany’s player, world no. 5 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV lost to Chinese Taipei LIN Yun-Ju after five games.
Italy’s Niagol STOYANOV managed to win one set against top seed from China FAN Zhendong, current world no. 1, and Austria’s Daniel HABESOHN suffered by the hands of Japan’s Jin UEDA.
In the concluding encounter of today’s schedule, India’s Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN upset former European championships runner-up Marcos FREITAS, after full seven games. GNANASEKARAN will face no. 2 seed XU Xin from China at the Round of 16.
Actual world no. 83 Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA from Japan has created biggest upset in the Round of 32, as he overcame no. 4 LIN Gaoyuan. YOSHIMURA reversed the score from 1-2 to 4-2. Six out of 16 players in the upcoming round come from Japan.
Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS (world no. 19) will be only Old Continent’s player at the Women’s Singles Round of 16, as she prevailed against Hitomi SATO (no. 13) from Japan after full seven games. SZOCS is going to play against China’s LIU Shiwen, current world no. 6.
Regarding doubles events, one all-European clash will be seen in the men’s quarter-finals, Martin ALLEGRO/Florent LAMBIET (Belgium) vs. Ovidiu IONESCU (Romania)/Alvaro ROBLES (Spain), while three more pairs from women’s competition will join them among the best 8: Katarzyna GRZIBOWSKA-FRANC/Natalia PARTYKA (Poland), Barbora BALAZOVA (Slovakia)/Hana MATELOVA (Czech Republic) and Elizabeta SAMARA/Bernadette SZOCS (Romania).
SZOCS had one more mission today, playing beside Ovidiu IONESCU in the Mixed Doubles opening round. They led 2-1 against no. 1 seeds from Chinese Taipei CHEN Chien-An/CHENG I-Ching, but lost next two games by a narrow margin.
