Three-time European doubles champion Tamara Boros of Croatia was a casualty in the first round of the women’s singles at the world table tennis championships yesterday.
The 31-year-old from Zagreb, a semi-finalist in the 2003 championships, lost to Anastasia Voronova of Russia 11-9, 11-5, 11-1, 13-15, 14-16, 11-7.
Boros was ranked 35th against the Russian’s 172nd.
Top-ranked Chinese players Wang Hao and Zhang Yining, waltzed into the second round with comfortable victories.
Wang, two-time Olympic silver medalist, eased aside Zeng Cem of Turkey 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, while Beijing Olympic champion Zhang Yining whipped Andrea Bakula of Croatia 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.
The Chinese paddlers, who monopolized all the titles in the previous two championships as well as the Beijing Olympics, strongly manoeuvred from all the quarters.
Beijing Olympic gold medalist Ma Lin needed six games to beat Alfredo Carneros of Spain 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-2 and join Wang Hao into the men’s singles second round.
Last year’s Pro Tour Grand Finals winner Ma Long outgunned Zolt Pete of Serbia 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5, while three-time former world champion Wang Liqin trounced Artur Daniel of Poland 11-4, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2.
South Korea’s Ryu Seung-min, Oh Sang-eun and 2003 world silver medallist Joo Se-hyuk joined the Chinese as well as world No. 6 Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus.
Taiwan’s No. 9 seed Chuang Chih-yuan beat Bora Vang of Turkey but lost in the second round to Panagiotis Gionis of Greece.
Compatriot Chiang Hung-chieh defeated Jens Lundqvist of Sweden 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4. Taiwanese player Chiang Peng-lung beat Marc Duran of Spain 11-3, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 before losing to South Korea’s Seo Hyun-deok in the second round.
Taiwan’s Wu Chin-chi defeated Cazuo Matsumoto of Brazil 1-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 before losing to Erik Illas of Slovakia.
No. 25 seed Ko Lai-chak of Hong Kong downed Taiwan’s Chen Chien-an 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 in the first round while Michael Maze of Denmark beat Chiang Hung-chieh of Taiwan 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 in their second round match.
In the women’s singles, Taiwan’s Huang Yi-hua beat Polina Mikhaylova of Russia in round one and then No. 30 seed Elizabeta Samara of Romania to reach the third round
Taiwan’s Lu Yun-feng beat Ng Sock Khim of Malaysia before falling to No. 10 seed Liu Shiwen of China in the second round.
Petra Lovas of Hungary beat Liu Hsing-yin of Taiwan 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-15, 11-7, 11-4 and Zhang Rui of Hong Kong beat Cheng I-ching of Taiwan 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5, 17-15 in their first round matches.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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