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ITTF Pro Tour: Chinese Taipei Open

Nervous Moments in Chinese Taipei
There were nervous moments in the qualification stage of the Men’s Singles event at the Chinese Taipei Open on Thursday 23rd August 2007 for the highest World ranked players who had not received a direct entry to the main draw.

Three suffered defeat. Chinese Taipei’s Chang Yen-Shu, the highest World ranked player on duty, lost to Japan’s Yusuke Namiki. The latter’s colleague Seiya Kishikawa, the second highest World ranked man in evidence, was beaten by Korean junior Han Ji Min and Poland’s Daniel Gorak also suffered. The fifth in line, he was beaten by another Japanese player, Yusuke Nokano.

However the third and fourth highest World ranked male players came through without trouble; a safe passage for Japan’s Taku Takakiwa and Hungary’s Ferenc Paszy was the order of the day.

Meanwhile, in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event, former European champion, Germany’s Nicole Struse lost to both Austria’s Veronika Heine and Japan’s Ayumi Etsusaki and for Japan there was a further surprise success.

University student, Yuko Watanabe beat Italy’s highly rated Nikoleta Stefanova to maintain her tradition of playing well in Chinese Taipei; in 2005 she enjoyed her best ever tournament on the ITTF Pro Tour when she reached the quarter-final stage of the women’s Singles event at the TMS Chinese Taipei Open.

For the top four highest seeded players in the Women’s Singles qualification stage there were few problems. Italy’s Wenling Tan Monfardini, Hungary’s Krisztina Toth, Korea’s Lee Eun Hee and Croatia’s Tamara Boros all came through unscathed.