Germany’s Patrick Baum, Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira and Japan’s Seiya
Kishikawa; the highest three world ranked players in action on the
opening day of proceedings, Thursday 11th June 2009, at the Japan Open
in Wakayama, all finished in first place in their respective groups and
thus booked places in the main draw.
However, for the next nine
in order of merit only Germany’s Torben Wosik and Japan’s Hidetoshi
Oya, the highest world ranked players in their respective groups
emerged unscathed. However, for the other favourites in action, there
were problems.
No less than seven players who started the day as statistical favourites to emerge as group winners fulfilled expectations.
Again
Yet
again, Japan’s 14 year old Koki Niwa was involved in the carnage; he
beat Germany’s Lars Hielscher, the fourth highest rated player in
action, both overcoming Korea’s Kim Dong Hyun.
It was first place for Koki Niwa, second place for Lars Hielscher.
Athletic Korean
Similarly,
it was runners up spot for the next in line, Japan’s Taku Takakiwa; he
was beaten by Korea’s athletic Lee Sang Su who also overcame
Singapore’s Pang Xue Ji to reserve top spot whilst for Poland’s Jakun
Kosowski, the seventh highest ranked in action it was defeat.
He
suffered by the narrowest of margins against Japan’s Masato Shiono with
the latter emerging as the group winner, both players defeating Misay
Phonsavat of Laos.
Japanese Success
Success for Japan and there was more.
Yuichi Yokohama and Hiromitsu Kasahara both caused upsets.
The
former overcame, Korea’s Lee Jin Kwon, the eighth highest ranked in
action to book his place in the main draw whilst the latter defeated
Singapore’s Ma Liang, the ninth in line.
Second place was the
lot of the Korean with Yokohama’s colleague, Masary Numata losing on
both visits to the table as it was for Ma Liang, Japan’s Michikazu
Tsuboguchi suffered both examinations.
Host Nation Sadness
Smiles
for Japan but there was defeat; Kenji Matsudaira, the tenth highest
ranked in action had to settle for second place in his group behind the
unbeaten Korean, Cho Eon Rae but ahead of Singapore’s Liu Zhong Ze.
Korean Success
Six
casualties and there was one more; Austria’s Daniel Habesohn was beaten
by Korea’s Jeong Sang Eun; the Korean finished in first place ahead of
the Austrian with Yuki hirano and Yutu Murumatsu, both of Japan,
occupying the third and fourth places.
Lady Luck
The
group winners all progressed to the main draw plus four ‘Lucky Losers’;
the players on whom the gods of table tennis smiled were: Germany’s
Lars Hielscher, Japan’s Jin Ueda, Poland’s Jakub Kosowski and Korea’s
Han Ji Min.
Jin Ueda had finished in second place in his group
losing to Patrick Baum whilst Han Ji Min had finished in runners up
spot suffering defeat at the hands of Hidetoshi Oya.
Source: www.ittf.com
