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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Japan, Belarus women storm into last 32

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Japanese stars produced a perfect play along with Belarus players to power into the last 32 of the women’s singles draw in the Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on Thursday.


Belarus will have three competitors in the Round of 32 with Nadezhda Bogdanova joining Viktoria Pavlovich and Daria Trigolos in the main event. Nadezhda Bogdanova cruised to a 3-0 victory over Egypt’s Reem El-Eraky 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 to finish at the summit of the Group 9 standings.


Japanese stars Maki Shiomi and Sakura Mori were through to the next round after securing the No1 spot in their respective groups without dropping a single game between them. Needing just three games to get the job done, Maki Shiomi thundered past Kazakhstan’s Anastassiya Lavrova 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 while Sakura Mori came away with a perfect record, claiming a straight games victory over India’s Archana Girish Kamath 11-9, 11-7, 11-5.


Maki Shiomi will take on Yue Wu of USA in the last 32, while Sakura Mori play with Jian Zeng of Singapore.


Doubles joy for Italy, woe for hosts


In the men’s doubles preliminary round, the Italian duo of Mihai Bobocica and Niagol Stoyanov have edged ever closer to a place in the main event following a dominant performance against Oman’s Muhannad al Balushi and Al Julanda al Kharusi 11-4, 11-6, 11-5. Mihai Bobocica and Niagol Stoyanov take on the Iranian pair of Amir Hossein Hodaei and Miad Lotfijanabadi for a spot in the Round of 16.


Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ali al Khadrawi is pushing throw for a spot in the men’s singles main draw with back to back wins.


Earning an impressive win against group favourite David Serdaroglu in his opening encounter, Ali al Khadrawi has backed it up with a convincing display against Egypt’s Ahmed Zayed with a 12-10, 11-6, 11-4 win to extend his stay in the competition.


Germany’s Patrick Baum has topped Group 14 in the hunt for Men’s Singles qualification after earning his second success, defeating Oman’s Al Julanda al Kharusi 11-1, 11-2, 11-4. Oman’s Muhannad al Balushi also lost out by a 3-0 margin with Russia’s Denis Ivonin taking the runner-up spot in Group 13 (11-1, 11-2, 11-3).


Hajilou surprises


Iran’s Parinaz Hajilou defied the expectations to top the under-21 women’s singles Group 1.


Hajilou, who defeated group favourite India’s Archana Girish Kamath on the opening day, added a 3-0 win over Singapore’s Zhang Wanling on the morning of day two (11-7, 11-5, 11-3) to guarantee the No 1 spot.


Jeremy Hazin completed a perfect record in his under-21 men’s singles group, picking up his third victory to top Group 3. The Canadian player saw off Singapore’s Lucas Tan across four games (11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4) and moves through to the Round of 16 with plenty of confidence on his side.


Late on Wednesday, it was a successful end to the day for Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab and Abdulrahman al Naggar; in the opening preliminary round of the men’s doubles event, they beat Kazakhstan’s Timur Kelbuganov and Denis Zholudev in four games 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5.


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