Chase still on - On the sport. Be part of it

Players chasing for a place in the men’s singles competition at the World Tour Grand Final in Zhengzhou, China next month, still have plenty to do after the opening day matches of the ongoing German Open.

With valuable points at stake, last night’s results has not given much clarity to the players in chase, namely Japan’s Jun Mizutani (402 points), Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik (354 points), Germany’s Timo Boll (344 points) and Jang Woojin (298 points).

The top 12 players in the ranking have already secured their spots, immaterial of how they do at the ongoing tournament in Linz. With plenty of points at stake, these players need to advance furthr to cement their berths.

For Mizutani and Woojin, the future is out of their hands after they bowed out in the opening round.

Mizutani, seeded 11th, lost to England’s Liam Pitchford 11-8, 1-11, 2-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-15 while Jang Woojin, the 12th seed, was beaten by Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 13-15. Of the two Woonjin is in a more precrious situation.

Jeoung Youngsik gave his chances a massive boost by overcoming Germany’s Patrick Franziska 4-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9.

Fifth seeded Boll ousted Aliaksandr Khanin of Belarus 11-8, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 to give his hopes a boost.

They would be looking over their shoulders with the likes of Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting, Japan’s Koki Niwa, China’s Zhao Zihao, Frenchman Simon Gauzy) and Pitchford are all still with mathematical chances of stealing the available berths.

Chun Ting beat Portugal’s Marcos Freitas 11-6, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 while Niwa overcame Germany’s Benedikt Duda 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 5-11, 11-6 in their opening matches.

Zihao and Gauzy scored upset wins over Austrian adversaries. Zihao accounted for Daniel Habesohn 13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10 while Gauzy ended the hopes of Robert Gardos 8-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8.

Linz, 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, bet-at-home.com Austrian Open, Women’s Singles – Round of 32, Tips Arena, Linz 2019/11/14.

In the women’s singles event, with the top 12 players already assured their Grand Finals berths, all eyes were on China’s He Zhuojia (338 points), Japan’s Hitomi Sato (337 points), Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching (295 points) and Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee (292 points).

The quartet enjoyed opening round success to boost their chances.

Zhoujia beat Germany’s Nina Mittelham 11-9, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, Sato accounted for China’s Zhang Rui 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6. Cheng I-Ching prevailed against Hong Kong’s Lee Ho Ching 11-5, 11-2, 7-11, 12-10, 12-10 while Jeon Jihee ended the hopes of Minami Ando of Japan 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5.

However, should any them suffer a second round defeat, they could open the door for China’s Gu Yuting and Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem.

Others still with a mathematical chance of making the cut are Korean Suh Hyowon and Austria’s Sofia Polcanova.

Even China’s Qian Tianyi who is way down the points standings in 24th spot ha a chance of making the cut after beating colleague Liu Shiwen, the second seed, in the opening round of the women’s singles event 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8.

Yuting, looks the best bet after her upset win over Singapore’s Feng Tianwei 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11. Seventh seeded Hoi Kem ousted Hong Kong’s Minne Soo Wai Yam 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9.

Linz, 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, bet-at-home.com Austrian Open, Doubles – Round of 16, Tips Arena, Linz 2019/11/14.

RESULTS
Men’s singles

Round of 32: Liam Pitchford (Eng) bt Jun Mizutani (Jpn) 8-11, 11-1, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8, 13-15, 11-3; Mattias Falck (Swe) bt Zhou Yu (Chn) 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8; Wong Chun Ting (Hkg) bt Marcos Freitas (Por) 11-6, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7; Darko Jorgic (Slo) bt Jang Woojin (Kor) 11-5, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12, 15-13; Hugo Calderano (Bra) bt Kanak Jha (USA) 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5; Liag Jngkun (Chn) bt Jonathan Groth (Den) 8-11, 11-13, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8, 11-0; Dmitrij Ovtcharov (Ger) bt Omar Assar (Egy) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-1; Harimoto Tomokazu (Jpn) bt Ruwen Filus (Ger) 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6; Wang idi (Chn) bt Daniel Habesohn (Aut) 13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10; Fan Zhendong (Chn) bt Mizuki Oikawa (Jpn) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 14-12; Koki Niwa (Jpn) bt Benedikt Duda (Ger) 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 5-11, 11-6; Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt An Jaehyun (Kor) 12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5; Simon Gauzy (Fra) bt Robert Gardos (Aut) 8-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7,. 12-10, 8-11, 11-8; Timo Boll (Ger) bt Aliaksandr Khanin (Blr) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7; Lin Yun-ju (Tpe) bt Maharu Yoshimura (Jpn) 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10

Men’s doubles

Round of 16: Robert Gardos-Daniel Habesohn (Aut) bt Alexander Chen-David Serdaroglu (Aut) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10; Chen Chien-an-Chuang Chih-yuan (Tpe) bt Paul Drinkhall-Samuel Walker (Eng) 11-9, 11-7, 11-9; Jakub Dyjas-Cedric Nuytinck (Pol-Bel) bt Fan Zhendong-Wang Chuqin (Chn) walkover; Nandor Ecseki –Adam Szudi (Hun) bt Nima Alamian-Noshad Alamiyan (Iri) 11-2, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6; Liang Jingkun-Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Tristan Flore-Emmanuel Lebesson (Fra) 11-9, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10; Jeoung Youngsik-Lee Sangsu (Kor) bt Vitor Ishiy-Gustavo Tsuboi (Bra) 11-8, 11-8, 2-11, 11-6; Timo Boll-Patrick Franziska (Ger) bt Benedikt Duda-Dang Qiu (Ger) 10-12, 8-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-9; Masataka Morizono-Maharu Yoshmura (Jpn) bt Liao Cheng-ting-Lin Yun-ju (Tpe) 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6

Women’s singles

Round of 32: Mima Ito (Jpn) bt Yang Xiaoxin (Mon) 11-9, 14-12, 12-10, 11-5; He Zhoujia (Chn) bt Nina Mittleham (Ger) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7: Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Ni Xia Lian (Lux) 12-10, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7; Qian Tianyi (Cn) bt Liu Shiwen (Chn) 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8; Han Ying (Ger) bt Liu Jia (Aut) 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3; Sato Hitomi (Jpn) bt Zhang Rui (Chn) 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6; Jeon Jihe (Kor) bt Minami Ando (Jpn) 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5; Sofia Polcanova (Aut) bt Choi Hyojoo (Kor) 13-11, 8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 8-11, 16-14, 12-10; Suh Hyowon (Kor) bt Cheng Hsien-tzu (Tpe) 12-10, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10; Doo Hoi Kem (Hkg) bt Minnie Soo Wai Yam (Hkg) 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9; Gu Yutinh (Chn) bt Feng Tianwei (Sgp) 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11; Miyuu Kihara (Jpn) bt Bernadette Szocs (Rou) 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4; Hina Hayata (Jpn) bt Miu Hirano (Jpn) 11-8, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5; Kasumi Ishikawa (Jpn) bt Chen Szu-yu (Tpe) 11-9, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7; Cheng I-ching (Tpe) bt Lee Ho Ching (Hkg) 11-5, 11-2, 7-11, 12-10, 12-10

Women’s doubles

Round of 16: Jeon Jihee-Shin Yubin (Kor) bt Sofia Polcanova-Bernadette Szocs (Aut-Rou) 11-4, 11-6, 12-10; Miyuu Kihara-Miyu Nagasaki (Jpn) bt Daniela Monteiro Dodean-Elizabeta Samara (Rou) 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6; Wu Yue-Lily Zhang *USA) bt Ng Wing Nam-Minnie Soo Wai Yam (Hkg) 11-6, 11-6, 13-11; Choi Hyojoo-Yang Haeun (Kor) bt Gu Yuting-un Mingyan (Chn) 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8; Barbora Balazova-Hana Matelova (Svk-Cze) bt Ho Tin-tin-Karoline Mischek (Eng-Aut) 14-12, 11-8, 11-9; Miu Hirano-Kasumi Ishikawa (Jpn) bt Dora Madarasz-Szandra Pergel (Hun) 11-3, 11-8, 11-3; Chen Szu-yu-Cheng Hsien-tzu (Tpe) bt Yana Noskova-Olga Vorobeva (Rus) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9; Lin Ye-Yu Mengyu (Sgp) bt Doo Hoi Kem-Lee Ho Ching (Hkg) 8-11, 15-13, 11-8, 11-9

Mixed doubles

Round of 16: Emmanuel Lebesson-Yuan Jia Nan (Fra) bt Stefan Fegerl-Sofia Polcanova (Aut) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 13-11; Lin Gaoyuan-Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kern (Hkg) 11-8, 11-7, 15-13; Lee Sangsu-Jeon Jihee (Kor) bt Patrick Framziska-Petrissa Solja (Ger) 11-3, 13-11, 11-6; Aliaksandr Khanin-Daria Trigolos (Blr) bt Lin Yun-ju-Cheng I-ching (Tpe) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7; Jun Mizutani-Mima Ito (Jpn) bt Ovidiu Ionescu-Bernadette Szocs (Rou) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6; Cho Daeseong-Shin Yubin (Kor) bt Lubomir Pistej-Barbara Balazova (Svk) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6; Tomokazu Harimoto-Hina Hayata (Jpn) bt Ho Kwan Kit-Lee Ho Ching (Hkg) 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11, 12-10