12 April 2013
　

Noshad Alamiyan and Yuto Muramatsu Upset World Order

　

An electric forehand top spin and stalwart defence caused the upsets as matters commenced in the first stage of the Men’s Singles event at the GAC GROUP Asian Cup in Hong Kong on the morning of Friday 12th April 2013.

Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan, currently listed at no.63 on the Men’s World Rankings, beat the host association’s Tang Peng, named at no.36 on the global standings, before Japan’s Yuto Muramatsu caused what was arguably a bigger upset than that caused by the fast attacking skills of the left handed Iranian.

Iran’s Noshad Alamiyan, currently listed at no.63 on the Men’s World Rankings, beat the host association’s Tang Peng, named at no.36 on the global standings, before Japan’s Yuto Muramatsu caused what was arguably a bigger upset than that caused by the fast attacking skills of the left handed Iranian.

Listed at no.52 on the current Men’s World Rankings, he overcame the Chinese player who in 2013 has very much attracted the attention. He accounted for Yan An, named at no.22 on the current order of merit.

Furthermore, both Noshad Alamiyan and Yuto Muramatsu won in most impressive fashions.

Noshad Alamiyan beat Tang Peng in five games (11-5, 11-8, 12-10, 3-11, 11-4), whilst Yuto Muramatsu overcame Yan An by a very similar margin (15-13, 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9).

One week ago at the ITTF World Tour Korean Air Korea Open, Yan An had been the player to cause the upset, in third round of the Men’s Singles event he beat Zhang Jike; one week later he was on the receiving end.

Yuto Muramatsu held the aces.

“I knew he was a strong player”, said Yuto Muramatsu. “It was important that I returned with heavy backspin play and it was important that I kept changing the direction of my play.”

He did just that; Yan An was never comfortable against the defensive play of Yuto Muramatsu who uses short pimpled rubber on the backhand and reversed on the forehand, the short pimples enabling variations to the backspin returns.

Furthermore, he plays in an incredibly mature manner; one forgets he is only 16 years old!

Equally but in a different fashion, Noshad Alamiyan was outstanding; he seized control very the very start against Tang Peng.

“I had played him before”, said Noshad Alamiyan. “Today I decided just to take a step back from the table and top spin as much as possible.

The one occasion before had been a much closer contest; it was the second round of the Men’s Singles event at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Noshad Alamiyan won but only just, he succeeded in a full distance seven games duel (11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 12-10).

Hong Kong was a different story.

Two upsets and there was nearly a third; in the same group as Tang Peng and Noshad Alamiyan, China’s Xu Xin, the top seed, faced Korea’s Seo Hyundeok.

Xu Xin won but had to recover from a three games to two deficit to post a scintillating seven games success (6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6) in a contest of breath taking rallies, a duel fit for a final.

A close defeat for Korea and soon after there was another reverse by a narrow margin; Joung Younsik was beaten in seven games by the host association’s Jiang Tianyi (11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7).

Success for Jiang Tianyi and in the same group there was also success for Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An; he accounted for Singapore’s Yang Zi in four games (11-9, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7).

Opening victories for Xu Xin and Jiang Tianyi, the respective first and third seeds; there was also success for the second seed.

Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan used his speed to good effect to overcome DPR Korea’s Kim Hyok Bong (11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6).

Meanwhile, in the group comprising players from Mid Asia, South Asia and South East Asia; the one match played, saw success for Vietnam’s Tran Tuan Quynh.

He beat Iran’s Nima Alamian in five games (11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7).

Men’s First Stage

Group A

Xu Xin (CHN) bt Seo Hyundeok (KOR) 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6

Noshad Alamiyan (IRI) bt Tang Peng (HKG) 11-5, 11-8, 12-10, 3-11, 11-4)

Group B

Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) bt Kim Hyok Bong (HKG) 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6)

Yuto Muramatsu (JPN) bt Yan An (CHN) 15-13, 6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9)

Group C

Jiang Tianyi (HKG) bt Jung Youngsik (KOR) 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 117

Chen Chien-An (TPE) bt Yang Zi (SIN) 11-9, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7)

Group D

Tran Tuan Quynh (VIE) bt Nima Alamian (IRI) 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-

Article by: Ian Marshall