All smiles from Cho Daeseong (left) and (right) Jang Woojin, the surprise men's doubles winners (Photo: Rémy Gros)
Korean qualifiers Cho Daesong-Jang Woojin stunned second seeded Lin Gaoyuan-Ma Long for the men’s doubles title at the German Open table tennis championships in Magdeburg.
After having taken the scalp of teammates and top seeds Jeoung Youngsik-Lee Sangsu in the semi-finals a day earlier, Daesong-Woojin turned up with another sensational display in the final.
The duo fought tooth and nail with the Chinese favourites before carving out a hard-earned 10-12, 15-13, 12-14, 14-12, 11-6 for the crown.
The tournament is the first that the 17-year-old Daesong is playing together with the more experienced Woojin. Woojin had partnered Lim Jonghoon to the World Tour Grand Finals title last year before being partnered off with Daesong this year.
Daesong has no problems playing with an older partner as he and 32-year-old Shih Yubin had won the mixed doubles title at the Czech Open last year.
Top seeded Chen Meng-Wang Manyu of China ran away with the women’s doubles title when they confortably defeated Japan’s Miu Hirano-Kasumi Ishikawa 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 in the final.
It was also status quo in the mixed doubles final with top seeds Xu Xin-Liu Shiwen of China getting past the Japanese pair of Jun Mizutani-Mima Ito 12-10, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7. It was the duo’s seventh major title as a pair, with their first coming at the 2018 Austrian Open.
In the men’s singles competition, home favourite Dimitrij Ovtcharov stunned top seeded Fan Zhendong 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-5, 12-10 to book a place in the semi-finals. The quarter-final triumph was a repeat of a similar win for the German when the two met at the semi-final stage at the 2017 German Open at the same venue.
It was Zhendong’s first defeat since October last year, having won the World Tour events in German and Austria and the Grand Finals, as well as the World Cup and the Shenzen Marvellous 12 since October.
Ovtcharov faces another herculean task in the semi-finals where he is down to meet veteran Chinese star Ma Long. Ma Long, who has a record 28 international title under his belt, had never lost to Ovtcharov in 16 previous meetings.
The other semi-finals will be an all-Chinese affair pitting Lin Gaoyuan against Xu Xin. Gaoyuan had to stave off a spirited fightback from Japan’s Jun Mizutani while Xu Xin had an easier task against Zhao Zihao in their semi-final matches.
The women’s singles competition Zhu Yuling upset reigning world champion Liu Shiwen 11-3, 11-9, 11-3, 11-2 to book her place in the semi-finals. She plays top seed Chen Meng, who accounted for Wang Yidi in the quarter-finals, in the last four.
Ding Ning took out fourth seeded Japanese Mima Ito in her quarter-finals with a 11-7, 11-13, 14-12, 11-8, 11-5 win and will play Wang Manyu in the other semi-finals.
RESULTS
MEN’S SINGLES
QUARTER-FINALS: Ma Long (Chn) bt Cho Seungmin (Kor) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4; Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Ger) bt Fan Zhendong (Chn) 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-5, 12-10; Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Jun Mizutani (Jpn) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6; Xu Xin (Chn) bt Zhao Zihao (Chn) 11-8, 11-3, 12-10, 11-8
WOMEN SINGLES
QUARTER-FINALS: Ding Ning (Chn) btMima Ito (Jpn) 11-7, 11-13, 14-12, 11-8, 11-5; Chen Meng (Chn) bt Wang Yidi (Chn) 6-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-5, 11-6; Wang Manyu (Chn) bt Sun Yingsha (Chn) 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 3-11, 11-8; Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Liu Shiwen (Chn) 11-3, 11-9, 11-3, 11-2
MEN’S DOUBLES
FINAL: Cho Daesong-Jang Woojin (Kor) bt Lin Gaoyuan-Ma Long (Kor) 10-12, 15-13, 12-14, 14-12, 11-6
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
FINAL: Chen Meng-Wang Manyu (Chn) bt Miu Hirano-Kasumi Ishikawa (Jpn) 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8
MIXED DOUBLES:
FINAL: Xu Xin-Liu Shiwen (Chn) bt Jun MIzutani-Mima Ito (Jpn) 12-10, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7
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