PAVLOVICH and SALIFOU in the quarters in Dubai

January 9, 2014
12:00 am
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At the US$ 1,000,000 GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Dubai on the evening of Thursday 9th January 2014 once again the reigning European champion, the German star Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was beaten by KIM Minseok in the Men’s Singles event. The 21 year old Korean won in seven games to book his place in the quarter-finals, the round he reached in 2012 in Hangzhou.

“I could not concentrate at all. Around the table was so much unrest. That got me totally out of rhythm,” stated OVTCHAROV National coach Jörg ROSSKOPF added, “Dima has played a very long time at highest level constantly. Eventually, something like this had to happen once.”

Frenchman, Abdel-Kader SALIFOU beat Brazil’s Cazuo MATSUMOTO in four straight games in the confrontation between the Challenge Series GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles winners.

Ma Long beat Kazuhiro CHAN, ZHANG Jike defeated Taku TAKAKIWA and Wang Hao ended the hopes of Koki NIWA. XU Xin accounted for Chinese Taipei’s CHUANG Chih-Yuan, FAN Zhendong eventually overcame Canada’s Eugene WANG At the quarter-final stage, in the upper half of the draw MA Long meets ZHANG Jike and KIM Minseok confronts Masato SHIONO; in the lower half XU Xin opposes Adbel-Kader SAIFOU, FAN Zhendong faces WANG Hao.

Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus overcame Chinese Taipei’s CHENG I-Ching in four straight games. At the quarter-final stage of affairs, in the top half of the draw DING Ning meets FENG Tianwei, ZHU Yuling opposes LI Xiaoxia; in the lower half Viktoria PAVLOVICH meets ZHAO Yan. JEON Jihee confronts LIU Shiwen.

The winner in Hangzhou in December 2012, Germany’s Patrick FRANZISKA progressed to the penultimate stage of the Under 21 Men’s Singles Event. In his opening contest he was beaten in his opening group stage match by Singapore’s WU Zhikang in six games, but he beat Chinese Taipei’s HUNG Tzu-Hsiang and Frenchman Simon GAUZY Earlier Simon Gauzy had beaten HUNG Tzu-Hsiang in five games and WU Zhikiang in four straight games.

Simon GAUZY, Patrick FRANZISKA and WU Zhikang all finished with two wins and one defeat apiece.Games ratio between the three concerned decided the outcome. It was first place for Simon GAUZY (6:4) followed by Patrick FRANZISKA (6:6) and WU Zhikang (4:6). GAUZY and FRANZISKA progressed to the main draw.

At the semi-final stage of the Under 21 Men’s Singles event Masataka MORIZONO meets Patrick FRANZISKA, Simon GAUZY opposes CHEN Feng.

NG Wing Nam, the top seed in the Under 21 Women’s Singles event had suffered defeat against Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA in six games, before recovering to beat Japan’s Shiho MATSUDAIRA in a close seven games duel.

LIN Ye had overcome Sofia POLCANOVA. In her concluding match, Sofia POLCANOVA accounted for the luckless Shiho MATSUDAIRA in sixth games; thus Ng Wing Nam, Lin Ye and Sofia Polcanova finished with two wins apiece. Therefore, games ratio between the three players with two wins in the group determined the outcome. First place went to Lin Ye (7:5), second position to Ng Wing Nam (6:7) with Sofia Polcanova (5:7) in third place and the player to miss out.

For Petrissa SOLJA, who had beaten YANG Haeun in the opening match in the group a day that had started with so much promise ended in disappointment. She lost against LEE Ho Ching and Yui HAMAMOTO.

In the penultimate round LIN Ye meets Yui HAMAMOTO, NG Wing Nam meets YANG Haeun.