SHANGHAI, May 4: Defending champion Wang Nan lost 4-3 to South Korea’s Moon Hyun-jung in the third round of the women’s singles at the world table tennis championships on Tuesday. The world number two went down 12-14 11-4 6-11 11-5 12-14 14-12 8-11 to become the first Chinese player in the tournament to lose to a non-Chinese.
Olympic champion Zhang Yining whitewashed San Marino’s Yan Chimei 4-0 to set up a meeting with Kim Hyang-mi, the North Korean she thrashed in the Athens final. In the men’s singles, China’s Ma Lin faced the toughest match of the day, winning the last game 11-9 to take a seven set thriller against Czech Petr Korbel.
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus beat Sweden’s five-times world champion Jan-Ove Waldner 4-0 and Germany’s Timo Boll won 4-2 against Jorgen Persson. But all eyes on Wednesday are likely to be on world number one Wang Liqin, who plays Hong Kong’s Li Ching for a place in the quarterfinals.
Wang Liqin also reached the men’s doubles semi-finals with Yan Sen following a comfortable 4-1 win over Olympic singles champion Ryu Seung-min and team mate Lee Jung-woo of South Korea.
They will meet compatriots Kong Linghui and Wang Hao, who brushed aside Hong Kong’s Cheung Yuk and Leung Chu Yan 4-1.
Results(second round)
Men
Wang Hao (CHN ) CHN bt Cheung Yuk (HKG) 9/11, 11/5, 12-10, 11-6, 9/11, 7/11, 11/8;