Hero of the hour for China in the boys’ contest was Xu Yingbin, the winner of the men’s singles title one month ago at the 2019 ITTF Challenge Polish Open in Wladyslawowo.

In the second match of the fixture, he recovered from a two games to nil deficit and the brink of defeat in the third, to beat Shunsuke Togami (6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7). Later, in the fourth contest, he kept his nerve to overcome Yukiya Uda (8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 13-11). The win had an air of revenge. Last year at the World Junior Championships in the Australian city of Bendigo, Xu Yingbin had experienced defeat at the hands of Yukiya Uda when they met in boys’ singles quarter-final stage (11-9, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9).

Success for Xu Yingbin set the scene for Xiang Peng to conclude matters, he succeeded but there were some nervous moments as Shunsuke Togami fought back from a two games to nil deficit to force a decider. Alas for Japan, Shunsuke Togami was not able to achieve a memorable recovery. He experienced defeat by the very minimal margin (13-11, 13-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9).

Notably all three defeats experienced by Japan were in five games; the wins in four. In the opening match of the fixture Yukiya Uda accounted for Xiang Peng (11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7) in the immediately ensuing contest Kakeru Sone overcame Liu Yebo (11-7, 14-12, 9-11, 11-6).

Recovered from opening loss

A place in the final booked after recovering from an opening match reverse, it was the same for the Chinese girls, as a 3-1 win was recorded against DPR Korea.

Kuai Man experienced defeat at the hands of Kim Kum Yong (11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 11-9), before Shi Xunyao levelled matters. She accounted for Pyon Song Gyong (11-9, 11-6, 11-6); then later returned to seal the win by overcoming Kim Kum Yong (10-12, 11-9, 15-13, 11-7). Sandwiched in between, Chen Yi prevailed in opposition Kim Un Song (11-4, 12-10, 11-5).

Convincing wins

Dramatic moments; in the counterpart penultimate round contests the outcomes were gained without too many heart stopping moments.

In the boys’ event, the no.2 seeds, Chinese Taipei recorded a 3-0 win against the no.4 seeds, France. Tai Ming-Wei gave his team the perfect start by beating Vincent Picard (11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7), Feng Yi-Hsin followed suit by accounting for Lilian Bardet (11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8), before Huang Yan-Cheng overcame Alexis Lebrun to end matters (6-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9).

Similarly in the girls’ team event, Japan, the no.2 seeds, beat for the no.4 seeds, Chinese Taipei, without the loss of a single individual match. Miyuu Kihara set her team on the road to victory by overcoming Yu Hsui-Ting (9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3), before Miyu Nagasaki accounted for Lee Wan-Hsuan (6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-1) and Haruna Ojio ended the contest by succeeding against Chien Tung-Chuan (12-10, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4).

Minor places

Meanwhile, in the contests for the minor places; in the boys’ team event Russia’s Lev Katsman, Vladimir Sidorenko and Maksim Grebnev recorded a 3-2 win against Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting, Dominic Song Jun Koh and Josh Shao Han, having earlier in the day with no changes to the selection, accounted for Germany’s Kirill Fadeev, Felix Wetzel and Dominik Jonack.

Hard earned, in the counterpart contest Singapore with Pang Yew En Koen preferred to Josh Chua Shao Han, a 3-2 win had  been posted against the United States combination of Michael Minh Tran, Nikhil Kumar and Kai Zarehbin.

Fifth place was the lot for Russia followed by Singapore, Germany and the United States; in the play-off for seventh and eighth positions, Germany recorded a 3-0 win against the United States.

Amy Wang unbeaten

In the girls’ team event, the United States gained a very creditable fifth place, very much thanks to Amy Wang; she remained unbeaten throughout the whole event. Lining up alongside Rachel Sung and Rachel Yang, a 3-0 win was recorded against the Germany trio of Sophia Klee, Laura Tiefenrunner and Fransizka Schreiner; before, with Crystal Wang replacing Rachel Yang a 3-2 outcome was the result against Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian, Anastasia Kolish and Mariia Tailakova.

In the counterpart fifth to eighth place fixture, with Anastasia Bondareva preferred to Laura Tiefenbrunner, Germany had posted a 3-1 win against the French outfit formed by Camille Lutz, Charlotte Lutz and Prithika Pavade.

Thus it was fifth place for the United States ahead of Russia, Germany and France; in the contest for seventh and eighth positions, Germany recorded a 3-1 win aganst France.

The finals of the boys’ team and girls’ team events will be played on Wednesday 27th November.