Other Events | 14 Jun 2014

Kristian KARLSSON is semi-finalist in Korea

For a first time in his career Sweden’s 22 year old Kristian KARLSSON reached the quarter-final at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour, Korea Open. The no.25 seed beat Japanese qualifier Yuya OSHIMA in six games (10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9) and i

For a first time in his career Sweden’s 22 year old Kristian KARLSSON reached the quarter-final at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour, Korea Open. The no.25 seed beat Japanese qualifier Yuya OSHIMA in six games (10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9) and is very much the odd one out in the quartet.

Other semi finalists, XU Xin, FANG Bo of China and Patrick BAUM of Germany have previously appeared in ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-finals; for Kristian KARLSSON it was a totally new experience. Prior to the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Korea Open, KARLSSON had made 26 ITTF World Tour appearances and had never progressed beyond the second round. He had only reached the second round on five occasions; in 2012 he progressed to round two in China and the Czech Republic, in 2013 in Qatar, Japan and once again in the Czech Republic. In Incheon it will be the first time the Swede will ever have competed on the concluding day of an ITTF World Tour tournament since making his debut in Poland in 2008.

Germany’s Patrick BAUM, the no.5 seed in a full distance seven games contest beat colleague Steffen MENGEL, the no.15 seed (11-3, 10-12, 8-11, 4-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9). XU Xin, the top seed, accounted for colleague and qualifier 16 year old YU Ziyang (9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9), who was competing in his first ITTF World Tour tournament. FANG Bo upset the pecking order, like YU Ziyang, he had been required to negotiate the qualification stage; he beat the last remaining Korean, LEE Jungwoo (12-10, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5).

At the semi-final stage in Incheon, Kristian KARLSSON meets XU Xin, Patrick BAUM confronts FANG Bo.

In Women’s Singles Event in the semi-final stage, FENG Tianwei meets colleague YU Mengyu; YANG Haeun confronts HAN Ying. Germany’s HAN Ying, the no.7 seed beat Portugal’s YU Fu, the no.13 seed (11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 14-12).