YOKOHAMA (Japan), Sept 24: Olympic and world champion Zhang Yining was in form Saturday to win through to the women’s singles semifinals at the Japan Open table tennis tournament. The Chinese world number one lost one game for the first time this week, but soon steadied herself to beat Japan’s Hiroko Fujii 11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 in the second round.

Zhang then shot down Olympic bronze medallist Kim Kyung-Ah of South Korea 11-8, 11-8, 14-12, 11-5 to set up an all-Chinese semifinal against Guo Yue.

Guo Yue first beat teammate Cao Zhen in the second round before overcoming Lau Sui-fei of Hong Kong 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5.

The other semifinal will be played between Guo Yan of China and Li Jia Wei of Singapore, who knocked out the last Europeans from the women’s singles.

Guo Yan breezed past Tamara Boros of Croatia 11-5, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7, while Li eliminated Viktoria Pavlovich of Belarus 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 11-8.

Timo Boll was the final European standing in the men’s singles after a 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 win over fellow German Torben Wosik and a 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 win over China’s defending champion Chen Qi.

In the semi-finals Sunday, Boll will meet another Chinese, Athens Olympic silver medallist Wang Hao, who defeated his teammate Liu Guozheng 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-9.

Athens Olympic champion Ryu Seung-Min of South Korea outplayed Asian Games silver medallist Chuan Chih-yuan of Taiwan 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 and will take on China’s Ma Long, the winner over fellow Chinese Hao Shuai.—AFP