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Successful one year ago on debut, when emerging victorious in the Philippines but since that date never through to the latter stages; Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit was the player to cause the major upset at the quarter-final stage of the Men’s Singles event at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Australia Open in Tweed Heads on Saturday 6th June.
The no.7 seed, he beat Japan’s Kenta Matsudaira, the no.2 seed, in five games (11-7, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3) to reserve his place in the penultimate round; in do so doing underlined the fact that later in the year in the French department of Vendée, he is major contender for honours at the World Junior Championships.
Kenta Matsudaira
Undoubtedly success in the tournament is one of the major goals this year for Ho Kwan Kit, a goal Kenta Matsudaira achieved nine years ago in 2006 when, only 15 years old at the time, he won in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo.
Alas for Kenta Matsudaira, there will be no such rejoicing in Tweed Heads; it was his third quarter-final defeat in seven ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-final appearances.
End of Road for Lam Sui Hang
Success for Ho Kwan Kit, there was also quarter-final success for colleague Jiang Tianyi but not for Lam Siu Hang. In his first ever ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-final, he was beaten by Jung Youngsik, the top seed, in six games (11-4, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7).
Nevertheless, the last eight appearance for Lam Siu Hang exceeded all expectations; he was beaten by an adversary who was competing in his eighth ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-final and has experienced a journey, which may face Lam Siu Hang in what could well prove a watershed tournament for the Hong player.
Quarter-Final Woes
Jung Youngsik has not always enjoyed the best of fortunes at that stage of play. Last week in the Philippines, when he beat Japan’s Kenta Tazoe (8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9), was the first time he had progressed to the penultimate round.
Now have negotiated the hurdle Jung Yungsik believes; that is the task for Lam Siu Hang, believe you can do it!
Vital Points
Meanwhile, for Jiang Tianyi, the no.3 seed, it was success as status advised; appearing in his 16 ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-final, he emerged victorious for the eighth time.
He beat Korea’s Jang Woojin who, like Lam Siu Hang had been required to compete in the qualification phase of proceedings and was also appearing in his first last eight contest. Jiang Tianyi won in six games (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10).]
“I was highly focused for this match; I studied his style of play and it was clear he was strong on the first three strokes in the rally”, said Jiang Tianyi. “It was three-two for me; then in the sixth game it was 9-all, he had a lucky net cord making the score 10-9 for him, if I’d have lost that game, we would have had play a deciding game and who knows what might have happened.”
Familiar Opponent
A semi-final place for Jiang Tianyi, as anticipated; also for Japan’s Yuya Oshima, the no.4 seed and winner the previous week in the Philippines, he accounted for colleague and qualifier, Tonin Ryuzaki (11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5).
Notably it was the third time in a period of two weeks that he had played Tonin Ryuzaki.
They met in the final of the Under 21 Men’s Singles event in the Philippines when Tonin Ryuzaki had won; one day prior to their clash in Tweed Heads, Yuya Oshima had extracted revenge by overcoming his colleague at the quarter-final stage of the Under 21 Men’s Singles event.
None of the other quarter-finalists had ever confronted each other in a World ranking event.
New Territory
Prior to competing in the Philippines, Yuya Oshima had never progressed to an ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles quarter-final; Australia was the first such venture for Tonin Ryuzaki.
Semi-Finals
At the semi-final stage Jung Youngsik meets Jiang Tianyi, Ho Kwan Kit opposes Yuya Oshima.
Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Isaac Purcell
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