Olympic Media Notes: Thursday 29th July

Day Five Highlights: Wednesday 28th July

Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals (CHN), the no.1 seed, accounted for Jeoung Youngsik (KOR), the no.10 seed (12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5); he has now won 10 of their 11 meetings in world ranking events.

Lin Yun-Ju (TPE), the no.5 seed, abruptly ended the ambitions of Darko Jorgic (SLO), the no.18 seed (11-4, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6). Thus, he reversed the decision of their one previous international meeting. At the 2016 World Junior Championships in Cape Town, Darko Jorgic had prevailed.

Ma Long (CHN), the no.2 seed, accounted for Omar Assar (EGY), the no.28 seed (11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6). They have now met three times on the international scene, the previous encounters being the Liebherr Men’s World Cup in 2015 in Halmstad and 2017 in Liège. On each occasion, has won in five games!

Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER), the no.7 seed, recovered from two games to nil to beat Hugo Calderano (BRA), the no.4 seed (7-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2). Dimitrij Ovtcharov has now won all three international encounters against Hugo Calderano. Previously he won on the ITTF World Tour in 2014 in Qatar and 2019 in the Czech Republic.

Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals (CHN), the top seed, beat Doo Hoi Kem (HKG), the no.8 seed (6-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-1, 11-8). Chen Meng has now won all four meetings on the international stage, on every occasion in six games!

Yu Mengyu (SGP), the no.26 seed, continued her remarkable run of form. She beat (JPN), the no.5 seed (8-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-6, 11-2). It may look an upset, but overall, it is parity; since their first encounter at the 2007 ITTF World Tour Brazil Open in Belo Horizonte, they have met 16 times in international events. Following the Tokyo exchange, it is eight wins each.

Mima Ito (JPN), the no.3 seed, kept Japanese hopes alive. She beat Jeon Jihee (KOR), the no.7 seed (11-5, 11-1, 12-10, 11-6). has won all five of their encounters on the international scene, the first being at the Liebherr 2018 World Team Championships in Halmstad.

Sun Yingsha (CHN), the no.2 seed, proved too consistent for the defensive skills of (GER), the no.12 seed (11-8, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6). It was the first time they had ever met in the international arena.

Looking ahead Lin Yun-Ju, the no.5 seed, becomes the second ever player from Chinese to reach the semi-finals of the men’s singles event at an , but can he go one stage better than the only previous occasion? In 2012 in , colleague Chuang Chih-Yuan finished in fourth place.

No Japanese player has ever won a medal in the women’s singles at an Olympic Games; can Mima Ito be the first? The nearest is the fourth place for Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN) in 2012 in London when losing to (SGP) and in 2016 in when beaten by Kim Song I (PRK).

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Can become the second player from to win a singles medal at an Olympic Games; the only other occasion is the women’s singles bronze won by Feng Tianwei (SGP) in 2012 in London.

Top Names Men’s Singles: Semi-Finals Fan Zhendong (CHN) v Lin Jun-Ju (TPE): Fan Zhendong (CHN), the no.1 seed, has beaten Lin Yun-Ju (TPE), the no.5 seed, on five of their six encounters at international level. The one win for Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) was recorded at the T2 Diamond tournament in 2019 in Johor Bahru. Ma Long (CHN) v Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER): dating back to the Danish Open in 2009, Ma Long (CHN) has won all 18 prior meetings on the international stage.

Women’s Singles: Semi-Finals Chen Meng (CHN) v Yu Mengyu (SGP): Chen Meng (CHN), the no.1 seed, has played Yu Mengyu (SGP), the no.26 seed, on two prior occasions in world ranking events. They met on the ITTF World Tour in 2015 in Sweden and 2019 in Hungary. On both occasions, Chen Meng won in straight games.

Sun Yingsha (CHN) v Mima Ito (JPN): Sun Yingsha (CHN), the no.2 seed, has won six of the eight meetings against Mima Ito (JPN), the no.3 seed, including the most recent, the semi- final round at the Dishang 2020 Women’s World Cup. Both excel playing fast counter-topspin strokes close to the table; expect high-speed rallies. Perhaps a court half the size would suffice! Neither will retreat.

Player Fast Facts Liqin (CHN), crowned world champion in 2001, 2005 and 2007, was considered the most outstanding counter-top spin play of all time; that mantle has now passed to Fan Zhendong (CHN). Somehow, in rallies, when all seems lost, he can return the ball.

Ma Long (CHN) is known for his powerful forehand but try to name any player with a safer backhand. It’s not easy!

Both Ma Long (CHN) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) played in the first-ever World Junior Championships staged in 2003 in Santiago. Ma Long (CHN) lost in the quarter-finals, and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) lost in the early stages.

At the first-ever World Junior Championships in 2003, won the boys’ team title, yet Ma Long (CHN) didn’t make the selection for the final. A certain (CHN), the London 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist, was preferred.

Lin Jun-Yu (TPE) has outstanding hand skills, the best in the world when playing over the table, a sublime talent.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) has won a medal in every Olympic Games in which he has competed. In (2008), he won the men’s team silver. In Rio de Janeiro (2016), he won men’s team bronze; in London (2012), men’s team bronze and men’s singles bronze. He was born in Ukraine, but the family moved to Germany soon after his birth. Father Mikhail enjoyed national success as a player in the former Soviet Union.

The only other German player to win a men’s singles medal at an Olympic Games is Jörg Rosskopf (GER). He won bronze in Atlanta (1996). In Tokyo, he is the coach for the German men’s team.

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Chen Meng (CHN) at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Manama, Bahrain completed the clean sweep – girls’ singles, girls’ doubles (Gu Yuting), mixed doubles (Song Hongyuan), girls’ team (Gu Yuting, Gu Ruochen, ).

The only other player to achieve the feat was Cao Lisi (CHN) in 2008 in Madrid when she won all four titles on offer; the only male players to win all four are (CHN) in 2009 in Cartagena de Indias and Xue Fei (CHN) in 2017 in Riva del Garda.

Chen Meng (CHN) has won the women’s singles title at the four most recent ITTF Grand Finals.

Zhang Yining (CHN) is the only other player to win four times (1999, 2002, 2005, 2006), but Chen Meng (CHN) is the only player to win four in a row (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

Yu Mengyu (SGP) is always the bridesmaid. At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, when Singapore secured silver in the women’s team event, she was very much the first reserve (Team - Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, ). In the final of the Liebherr 2010 World Team Championships in Moscow, when Singapore sensationally beat China 3-1, she was again very much first reserve (Team - Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, ).

Yu Mengyu’s (SGP) performance in Tokyo is beyond expectations. She has just one ITTF World Tour women’s singles title to her credit. In 2009, she won in Indore, India. She is improving with age. Born in Shenyang, China, she started to play when five years old. She will celebrate her 32nd birthday on Wednesday 18th August. Could Tokyo 2020 be her swansong?

Sun Yingsha (CHN) is just 14 days younger than Mima Ito (JPN). Sun Yingsha (CHN) was born 04/11/2000; Mima Ito (JPN) 21/10/2000. Even if the Tokyo Olympic Games had been held in 2000, age-wise, neither would have matched (CHN). She was 19 years and 182 days old when she won the women’s singles title at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

A quarter-final defeat for Han Ying (GER) means Kim Kyungah (KOR) and Kim Song I (PRK) are the only defensive players to win women’s singles medals at an Olympic Games. Both won bronze, Kim Kyungah in 2004 in Athens, Kim Song I in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Five Matches To Watch 12.00 Women’s Singles: Mima Ito (JPN) v Sun Yingsha (CHN) 15.00 Men’s Singles: Fan Zhendong (CHN) v Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) 16.00 Men’s Singles: Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) v Ma Long (CHN) 20.00 Women’s Singles: Bronze Medal Match 21.00 Women’s Singles: Gold Medal Match

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