Japan dominated in the first part of the Finlandia Open by taking gold and silver in both men´s and women´s events. Finland on home soil reached the semifinal in men´s team but lost to Japan in the penultimate stage clearly 0-2.
Japan’s teams 1 and 2 in both events clinched gold and silver medals. Men’s team of Finland (Miikka O’CONNOR and Benedek OLÁH) and Belarus (Ulada RUKLIATSOU and Mik TSYHANOUSKI) clinched bronze. In Women’s Teams bronze went to Belarus (Darya KISEL and Ulyana ALKHOSKAYA) and Ukraine (Alina VYDRUCHENKO and Veronika HUD).
It was great warm up for the forthcoming Singles Events on weekend.
Men’s Team final
Japan 1 – Japan 2 1-2
Koyo KANAMITSO – Seiya NUMAMURA 11-5 11-7 11-7
Kazto YOSHIDA – Naoka KAWAKAMI 11-6 8-11 7-11 10-12
KANAMITSO/YOSHIDA – NUMAMURA/KAWAKAMI 9-11 11-8 11-6 9-11 9-11
3) Finland 1 and Belarus 2
Women’s Team final
Japan 1 – Japan 2 2-0
Shoko YAMAMOTO – Yuki SANJO 8-11 11-2 13-11 11-9
Yuka MATSUOKA – Hiyori OKAZAKI 6-11 11-3 11-6 11-6
3) Ukraine 2 and Belarus 2