Other Events | 13 Nov 2019
Benedikt DUDA upsets LEE Sangsu to reach main draw
Photo: Courtesy ITTF
2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, bet-at-home.com Austrian Open, Linz, 12-17 November
Two women’s preliminary top seeds were eliminated two steps before the main draw at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, bet-at-home.com Austrian Open, Linz. They are Germany’s Petrissa SOLJA (no.1) and Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA (no.2). Regarding Men’s qualifications, Germany’s Benedikt DUDA (actual world no.46) has created biggest upset, as he overcame men’s preliminary top seed, Korea’s LEE Sangsu (world no. 18). Prior that clash, German beat Japan’s Yuta TANAKA in straight games.
Preliminary Round 4 saw Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS victory over Germany’s Ricardo WALTHER. FREITAS was extended to full distance by Poland’s Jakub DIYAS in the Preliminary R3.
Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC defeated Brazil’s Gustavo TSUBOI after full seven games in one of the most exciting clashes in the concluding day of qualification.
Two players from Russian Premier League, Jonathan GROTH and CHUANG Chih-Yuan have met do decide who will face world no.7 LIANG Jingkun of China in the Round of 32. Denmark’s star won in five games.
Germany’s Filus RUWEN prevailed against France’s Can AKKUZU whose compatriot Simon GAUZY eliminated Chinese Taipei’s CHEN Chien-An.
Belarus Aliaksandr KHANIN showed his best table tennis in the first two days in Linz, as he eliminated world no.38 Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA (Japan) in Preliminary Round 2, and 2018 European Championships runner-up Ovidiu IONESCU (Romania) in Preliminary Round 4. KHANIN was stretched to full distance by Romanian player.
England’s Liam PITCHFORD, no.2 seed in the qualification, faced huge challange against Croatia’s Andrej GACINA, but managed to reverse the score from 1:3 to 4:3.
Top two seeds lost their Preliminary Round 3 matches in the women’s singles event: SHAN Xiaona beat Petrissa SOLJA (no.1 seed) 4:1 in the all-German clash, but suffered at the hands of China’s ZHANG Rui in the ultimate stage prior main draw. Monaco’s YANG Xiaoxin upset Elizabeta SAMARA (no. 2 seed), reaching main draw thanks to win against Slovakia’s Barbora BALAZOVA.
Luxembourg’s NI Xia Lian recorded two fast wins against Hong Kong’s NG Wing Nam and Ukraine’s Ganna GAPONOVA, to secure her spot in the main draw.
Hong Kong’s SOO Wai Yam Minnie had an amazing comeback, as she pushed from 0:3 to 4:3 against Czech Republic Hana MATELOVA. SOO, player of the host club Linz, beat Germany’s WAN Yuan in Round 3.
Two members of German National Team reached main draw too. HAN Ying prevailed against France’s YUAN Jia Nan in straight games, while Nina MITTELHAM beat two Asian players in last two hurdles, China’s LIU Fei 4:2 and Japan’s Kyoka IDESAWA 4:1.
