KOBE (Japan), Sept 20: World doubles champions Wang Nan and Zhang Yining crashed out of the women’s singles, but China took four semifinal berths at the Japan Open table tennis tournament on Saturday.

Zhang bowed to fellow Chinese Guo Yan 11-7, 12-10, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7 in the third round, while Wang, Sydney Olympic and world singles champion, went down to Guo Yue 6-11, 11-13, 11-4, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7 in the quarterfinals.

Guo Yan went on to beat Li Jia Wei of Singapore to set up a semifinal match against Li Nan, who eliminated the last European challenger in the field,Tamara Boros of Croatia, in four games.

Guo Yue will play Niu Jianfeng, who bested Japanese national champion Aya Umemura 11-3, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6.

In the men’s singles, China’s Ma Lin remained on form as he eyed his third straight title in three weeks, adding to the Korea Open and China Open he won earlier this month.

The second seed outgunned Jorgen Persson of Sweden 10-12, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 and then eliminated defending champion Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 12-10 in the quarter-finals.

On Sunday, Ma will take on Oh Sang-Eun of South Korea, the winner over Chuan Chih-yuan of Taiwan 5-11, 12-10, 11-6, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3.

Timo Boll of Germany outclassed Hao Shuai of China 11-4, 10-12, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 12-10, while China’s Wang Liqin downed Chiang Peng-lung of Taiwan 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 to book the other semifinal clash.

Results:

Men’s singles (3rd round): Timo Boll (GER) bt Joo Se-Hyuk (KOR) 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7; Hao Shuai (CHN) bt Peter Franz (GER) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9; Chiang Peng-lung (TPE) bt Kim Taek-Soo (KOR) 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10; Wang Liqin (CHN) bt Liu Guozheng (CHN) 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8; Chuan Chih-yuan (TPE) bt Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) 11-8, 11-6, 12-10, 11-5; Oh Sang-Eun (KOR) bt Chen Weixing (AUT) 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11; Kalinikos Kreanga (GRE) bt Qiu Yike (CHN) 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 17-15, 4-11, 11-8; Ma Lin (CHN) bt Jorgen Persson (SWE) 10-12, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 7-11,11-5, 11-5

Quarterfinals: Timo Boll (GER) bt Hao Shuai (CHN) 11-4, 10-12, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 12-10; Wang Liqin (CHN) bt Chiang Peng-lung (TPE x6) 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9; Oh Sang-Eun (KOR) bt Chuan Chih-yuan (TPE) 5-11, 12-10, 11-6, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3; Ma Lin (CHN) bt Kalinikos Kreanga (GRE) 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-1, 12-10

Women singles (3rd round): Guo Yan (CHN) bt Zhang Yining (CHN) 11-7, 12-10, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7; Li Jia Wei (SIN) bt Tie Yana (HKG) 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7; Li Nan (CHN) bt Ai Fukuhara (JPN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9; Tamara Boros (CRO) bt Yuki Fujita (JPN) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6; Niu Jianfeng (CHN) bt Lau Sui-fei (HKG) 15-17, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9,11-2; Aya Umemura (JPN) bt Ai Fujinuma (JPN) 10-12, 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9; Guo Yue (CHN) bt Zhang Rui (HKG) 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6; Wang Nan (CHN) bt Kim Kyung-Ah (KOR) 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10

Quarterfinals: Guo Yan (CHN) bt Li Jia Wei (SIN) 11-2, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-3; Li Nan (CHN x8) bt Tamara Boros (CRO) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9; Niu Jianfeng (CHN) bt Aya Umemura (JPN) 11-3, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6; Guo Yue (CHN) bt Wang Nan (CHN) 6-11, 11-13, 11-4, 14-12, 11-7, 11-7

Men’s doubles (quarterfinals): Ko Lai-chak/Li Ching (HKG) bt Chang Yen-shu/Wu Chih-chi (TPE) 11-8, 9-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-6, 14-16, 11-3; Ma Lin/Chen Qi (CHN) bt Toshio Tasaki/Akira Kito (JPN) 9-11, 11-8,11-6, 11-9, 11-5; Wang Liqin/Hao Shuai (CHN) bt Cheung Yuk/Leung Chu-yan (HKG) 11-5, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8; Aleksandar Karakasevic/Bojan Tokic (YUG/SLO) bt Oh Sang-Eun/Kim Taek-Soo (KOR) 12-10, 11-13, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6

Women’s doubles (quarterfinals): Niu Jianfeng/Guo Yue (CHN) bt Liu Jia/Wang Chen (AUT/USA) 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 15-13, 11-4; Li Jia Wei/Jing Jun Hong (SIN) bt Lin Ling/Zhang Rui (HKG) 4-11, 11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12; Aya Umemura/Ai Fujinuma (JPN) bt Satoko Kishida/Reiko Hiura (JPN) 11-9, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5; Li Nan/Guo Yan (CHN) bt Zhang Yining/Wang Nan (CHN) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9,—AFP