Other Events | 4 Oct 2019
Swedish Open: China’s players end hopes of host trio
Photo: Courtesy ITTF
2019 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm
Top three host players lost their Round of 32 matches at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm, and each of them were beaten by China’s representatives: ZHAO Zihao vs. Mattias FALCK 4:2 (16:18, 11:9, 10:12, 11:7, 13:11, 11:7), WANG Chuqin vs. Kristian KARLSSON 4:2 (11:6, 11:6, 11:9, 8:11, 7:11, 11:4), FAN Zhendong vs Jon PERSSON 4:1 (9:11, 11:4, 11:6, 11:9, 11:7).
Seven China’s players in total reached Round of 16, including no. 3 seed LIN Gaoyuan and ZHOU Qihao who overcame Frenchman Enzo ANGLES and England’s Liam PITCHFORD respectively. XU Xin, the top seed, needed six games to eliminate his compatriot XU Haidong.
Two German players reached Round of 16. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was 1:3 down against Japan’s Yukiya UDA, but managed to win, while Patrick FRANZISKA overcame former world top 10 player from China FANG Bo. Frenchman Simon GAUZY prevailed against Alvaro ROBLES of Spain.
Regarding Women’s Singles Round of 32, Japan’s Miyu NAGASAKI caused the biggest upset, as she beat no. 3 seed, China’s ZHU Yuling. Monaco’s YANG Xiaoxin prevailed against Hong Kong’s DOO Hoi Kem in six games, while two host players, Linda BERGSTRÖM and Matilda EKHOLM suffered at the hands of China’s WANG Yidi and Japan’s Honoka HASHMOTO respectively.
Two top seeds, China’s CHEN Meng and DING Ning finished their encounters in straight games. Actual Olympic champion, no.2 seed DING beat Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands. Austria’s Yui HAMAMOTO forced no.4 seed WANG Manyu of China to play her best table tennis, but lost in six games.
Opening round in the Men’s Doubles event brought one huge upset, as Poland’s Jakub DYJAS and Belgium’s Cédric NUYTINCK beat top seeds, Korea Republic’s JANG Woojin and LEE Sangsu. Surprise of the day in the Women’s Doubles belongs to Portugal’s SHAO Jieni and FU Yu who prevailed against Japan’s Miyuu KIHARA and Miyu NAGASAKI, the no.2 seeds.
It was a bad day for host players, bearing in mind that Poland’s Jakub DYJAS and Natalia PARTYKA beat Mattias FALCK and Matilda EKHOLM in the Mixed Doubles.
