All eight last 16 clashes in the Ladies Singles went with the ITTF Rankings although not without producing some spectacular and at times truly outstanding table tennis. Chinese Superstar, top seeded Lui Shiwen (recent winner of the ITTF World Cup) booked her Quarter-Final appearance by beating Moon Hyun Jung (Korea) ranked no. 76 : 11-6, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6. She will meet the very tricky Jiang Huajun (Hong Kong) in her Quarter-Final after the no. five seed had beaten Krisztina Toth (Hungary)(World ranked no. 21) decisively 11-4, 15-13, 11-6, 11-5.
Tie Yana (Hong Kong) (13) eased her way past rising star – World no. 49 Georgina Pota (Hungary) 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 and she will meet World no. six Feng Tianwei (Singapore) who hit her way to an impressive 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7 victory over Korean defender Park Mi Young (the World no. 14).
World no. eight Kim Kyung Ah (Korea), the 2004 Olympic Bronze medallist and perhaps the most experienced defensive player in the World made it safely into the last eight when she beat Sun Bei Bei (Singapore) (World no. 20) 11-5, 11-5, 2-11, 11-9, 11-5. She will face the athletic big-hitting Ding Ning (China), the 2005 World Junior Singles Champion. Ding Ning never looked back after winning a very close first game against Japan’s former Child-prodigy and Japanese Media idol Ai Fukuhara (World ranked no. 23). Ding Ning won 11-9, 11-6, 11-2, 11-9. Expect the game between Kim Kyung Ah and Ding Ning to be a cracker.
World no. 10 Wang Yue Gu (Singapore) won the round’s longest game getting the better of Sara Ramirez (Spain)who made a nonsense of her World ranking of no. 109. Blessed with genuine athleticism, Ramirez, the runner-up in the 2005 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals gave it her all before succumbing in the seventh end. Wang Yue Gu won 9-11, 11-13, 11-8,11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4.
The other ultra powerful Chinese player, Guo Yan (World no. five), runner –up in the 2007 World Ladies Singles Final and the no. two seed here proved too strong for a gallant Petra Lovas (Hungary) (the World no, 82). Guo Yan won 11-6, 11-2, 11-5, 14-12.
Image: Sara Ramirez, courtesy tabletennisphotos.com
Steve Kerns