Seiya Kishikawa, a 22 year-old from Fukuoka, Japan who plays for the famous Borussia Dusseldorf Club in the German Bundersleague produced the big shock in the last sixteen of the Mens Singles. Ranked 58 globally he “hit the jackpot” bringing down World no. nine and no. six seed – Chen Qi (China). What’s more he fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 down to win 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5. He will meet World no. three Timo Boll in the Quarter-Final after Germany’s top player  disposed of his team-mate and doubles partner, World no. 27 Christian Suss (14-16, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8).

Top seed, World no. two Ma Long didn’t have it all his own way but he made it through safely into the last eight, defeating his team-mate, World no. 20 Zhang Jike 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 15-13, 11-5.

Ma Long faces a mouth-watering clash in the Quarter-Final against Jun Mizutani (Japan) World no. 11 who beat the last of the great Swedish old-guard – Jens Lundqvist : 9-11, 11-8,11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11.

The new Star of World table tennis – Xu Xin (China) is safely through to the last eight but he didn’t have it all his own way. He eventually beat Tiago Apolinia (Portugal) after  five ends of dynamic loop-to-loop table tennis  : 11-4, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4. Xu Xin faces the great stylist – Michael Maze (Denmark)  in his Quarter-Final. The current European Senior Champion who like his great rivals Timo Boll and Vladimar Samsonov also won the European Cadet and Junior titles looked back to his very best as he disposed of World no. 54 Jao Monteiro (Portugal) 12-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5.

No. three seed, current Olympic Champion Ma Lin also booked his Quarter-Final appearance but he never looked comfortable against Kaii Yoshida (Japan – the World no. 26). Yoshida matched the ferocious Ma Lin forehand with numerous rockets of his own and it was only in the seventh end that Ma Lin pulled clear. The seventh game paled into insignificance compared with what had gone before it, but Ma Lin won’t care. He won 11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3. Ma Lin will play the always entertaining  Ching Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei) (World no. 16) in his Quarter-Final. Ching Chih-Yuan was involved in a typically furious seven set marathon which he eventually won 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-8 against a gallant Andre Gacina (Croatia), yet another player who played well above his World Ranking.

Image: Seiya Kishikawa, courtesy tabletennisphotos.com

Steve Kerns