Xu and Fan on top again

Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong began their day with a loss in the first game against Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting, but the Hong Kong pair’s success ended there: The Cloudwalker, recently elevated to world #1 in men’s singles, and Fan, the man who held that spot for 15 months before ceding it to Xu, quickly clamped down. Result: the Chinese took the next three games to solidify their place in the semifinal. Margin of victory: 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4).

A semi-celebration for Korea

Korea has found its first semifinalists in men’s pair Jang Woojin and Lim Jonghoon. This tournament will always be special for Jang, who last year in Daejeon became the first player ever to capture the triple crown of table tennis, taking the titles in men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. It was one of the things that earned a nod of commendation from no less than Korean President Moon Jae-In.

Jang and Lim are back and into the semis after answering the Swedish challenge set by Kristian Karlsson and Anton Kallberg, which resulted in a 3-1 Korean victory (11-7, 11-9, 12-10). Minutes later, compatriots Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu also broke through, holding off Japan’s rising star/experienced veteran pair Tomokazu Harimoto and Koki Niwa 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7) to advance and setting up an all-Korea semi, guaranteeing the host nation a berth to the final.

Wong and Doo complete MXD semis field

It’ll be an all-Hong Kong semifinal in mixed doubles in Busan as Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem face off against Ho Kwan Kit and Lee Ho Ching for the honor of doing battle with either Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen or Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito in the final.

Wong and Doo overpowered Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova in four, cruising to a two-game lead before a little concentration blip caused a loss in the third. They remained solid and focused in the last to close out the 3-1 victory (11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7).

Ho-Lee moly!

Adam Szudi and Szandra Pergel’s upset streak came to an end against Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit and Lee Ho Ching, who proved too much for the standout Hungarian pair today, beating them 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9) to take their place among the four duos still remaining.

The bright side for Szudi and Pergel is that they head home with the satisfaction of having avenged themselves on Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa, who knocked them out of contention at April’s World Championships in Budapest.

Mizutani and Ito are living the dream

Things are working out for Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito. Yesterday, the newly matched pair edged ITTF World Tour leaders Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching. Today they sent France’s Tristan Flore and Laura Gasiner packing, surviving an early dropped game and a nailbiter of a fourth game to clinch a 3-1 win (8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 14-12). But the biggest test of this promising early partnership will come when they see Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen in the semifinal.

Xu and Liu, as expected

Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen aren’t giving an inch — which is exactly what you’d expect from a pair that have already won twice on the World Tour this year. Xu and Liu are back together after Xu played (and dominated) with Zhu Yuling at the Japan Open in Sapporo two weeks ago. Here against Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Yoo Eunchong it was another up-and-down story — 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-2) — and onto the semis.

Day Two begins!

It’s on: The second day of main draw action at the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour SHINHAN Korea Open is underway! Here’s what’s on the schedule for today: