Olympic Media Notes
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Olympic Media Notes: Sunday 1st August Day Seven Highlights: Friday 30th July Men's Singles: Bronze Medal Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER), the no.7 seed beat Lin Yun-Ju (TPE), the no.5 seed (13-11, 9-11, 6- 11, 11-4, 4-11, 15-13, 11-7), saving four match points in the sixth game. It is the second time that Ovtcharov has won bronze in the men's singles event at an Olympic Games. In London (2012), he beat a player from Chinese Taipei to secure the third step of the podium. On that occasion, he accounted for Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE). Dimitrij Ovtcharov has won a medal in every Olympic Games in which he has competed. Additionally, he won men's team silver in Beijing (2008), men's team bronze in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). It is the second time that Lin Yun-Ju has finished in fourth place in the Olympic arena. At the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games. he was beaten by Kanak Jha (USA) in the bronze medal contest. Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER) has now won three of the seven matches against Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) at international level. He won the two most recent both this year, with the other being in the men's singles final at the WTT Contender tournament in early March in Qatar. It's the first time the men's singles bronze medal match at an Olympic Games has gone the full distance. Men's Singles: Gold Medal Ma Long (CHN), the no.2 seed, beat Fan Zhendong (CHN), the no.1 seed (11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7). Five Chinese players have won the men's singles title at an Olympic Games: Liu Guoliang (1996), Kong Linghui (2000), Ma Lin (2008), Zhang Jike (2012), Ma Long (2016, 2020). Ma Long (CHN) becomes the first player to retain the men's singles title at an Olympic Games and win on two occasions. He has won whenever he has played; in London, in 2012, he only played in the men's team event. Ma Long has now won 16 of his 21 matches against Fan Zhendong at international level, yet as of 2019, it is only the third time he has succeeded in seven meetings. Since table tennis first appeared at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, it was the sixth all- Chinese men's singles final. The exceptions: Seoul 1988 when Yoo Namkyu (KOR) bt Kim Kaitaek (KOR), Barcelona 1992 when Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) overcame Jean-Philippe Gatien (FRA) and Athens 2004 when Ryu Seungmin (KOR) accounted for Wang Hao (CHN). Looking ahead Men's Team Event: Round One 10.00 Slovenia (Darko Jorgic, Bojan Tokic, Deni Kozul) v Korea Republic (Jang Woojin, Jeoung Youngsik, Lee Sangsu) Slovenia (12): Darko Jorgic (SLO) overcame Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) to reach the men's singles quarter- finals. He was beaten by Lin Yun-Ju (TPE). Bojan Tokic (SLO) lost to Hugo Calderano (BRA) in round three. Deni Kozul (SLO) makes his debut Appearances: first for Slovenia Page 1 Korea Republic (4): Jeoung Youngsik (KOR) beat Timo Boll (GER) to reach the men's singles quarter-finals. Eventually, he lost to Fan Zhendong (CHN). Jang Woojin (KOR) lost to Hugo Calderano (BRA) in round four. Lee Sangsu (KOR) partnered with Jeon Jihee (KOR); they reached the quarter-finals. Appearances: bronze in Beijing (2008), silver in London (2012), fourth place Rio de Janeiro (2016) 10.00 Chinese Taipei (Chen Chien-An, Chuang Chih-Yuan, Lin Yun-Ju) v Croatia (Andrej Gacina, Frane Kojic, Tomislav Pucar) Chinese Taipei (7): Lin Yun-Ju finished fourth in the men's singles, having triumphed as a bronze medallist with Cheng I-Ching at the mixed doubles. Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) was beaten in the fourth round of the men's singles by Omar Assar (EGY). Chen Chien-An (TPE) makes his first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: lost bronze medal play-off round one in Beijing (2008), lost round one Rio de Janeiro (2016) Croatia (10) Andrej Gacina (CRO) lost in men's singles round two to Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) Tomislav Pucar (CRO) lost in men's singles round two to Bojan Tokic (SLO) Frane Kojic (CRO) makes his first appearance in Tokyo Appearances: lost bronze medal play-off round one in Beijing (2008) 14.30 Brazil (Hugo Calderano, Gustavo Tsuboi, Vitor Ishiy) v Serbia (Dimitrije Levajac, Marko Jevtovic, Zolt Peto) Brazil (6) Hugo Calderano (BRA) reached the men's singles quarter-finals losing to Dimitrij Ovtcharov (GER). Gustavo Tsuboi (BRA) beat Quadri Aruna (NGR) in the men's singles before losing to Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) in round four. Vitor Ishiy (BRA) makes his Olympic Games debut. Appearances: eliminated in the group stage in Beijing (2008), lost round one in London (2012), lost round one in Rio de Janeiro (2016). Serbia (15) Dimitrije Levajac lost in the first round of the men's singles event. He was beaten by Kirill Skachkov (RUS) Zolt Peto (SRB) lost in the first round of the men's singles event. He experienced defeat when facing Panagiotis Gionis (GRE). Marko Jevtovic makes his Tokyo debut. Appearances: first for Serbia. 14.30 Hong Kong (Ho Kwan Kit, Lam Siu Hang, Wong Chun Ting) v France (Alexandre Cassin, Emmanuel Lebesson, Simon Gauzy) Page 2 Hong Kong (11) Wong Chun Ting suffered a surprise third-round men's singles defeat. He was beaten by Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE). Lam Siu Hang progressed to men's singles third round. He lost to Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN). Ho Kwan Kit (HKG) makes his first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: lost in the bronze medal round two in Beijing (2008), fourth place in London (2012), quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro (2016). France (8): Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) was beaten in round three of the men's singles event by Fan Zhendong (CHN). Partnering Yuan Jia Nan (FRA), he finished in fourth place in the mixed doubles. Simon Gauzy (FRA) was beaten in men's singles round four by Ma Long (CHN). Alexandre Cassin (FRA) makes his Olympic Games debut. Appearances: lost in round one in Rio de Janeiro (2016). Women's Team Event: Round One 10.00 Hong Kong (Doo Hoi Kem, Lee Ho Ching, Minnie Soo Wai Yam) v Brazil (Caroline Kumahara, Bruna Takahashi, Jessica Yamada) Hong Kong (4) Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) reached the quarter-finals of the women's singles event losing to Chen Meng (CHN). Minnie Soo Wai Yam (HKG) was beaten by Maria Xiao (ESP) in the second round of the women's singles. Lee Ho Ching (HKG) makes her first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: lost in the bronze medal round two in Beijing (2008), quarter-final in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). Brazil (15) Bruna Takahashi lost in Yuan Ji Nan (FRA) in women's singles round two. Jessica Yamada lost to Rachel Moret (SUI) in women's singles round one. Caroline Kumahara makes her first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: lost in round one in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) 10.00 Egypt (Farah Abdelaziz, Yousra Helmy, Dina Meshref) v Romania (Daniela Monteiro Dodean, Elizabeta Samara, Bernadette Szocs) Egypt (14) Dina Meshref reached round three in the women's singles event, the furthest ever by a player from an African nation or Arabic speaking country. She was beaten by Britt Eerland (NED). Yousra Helmy (EGY) lost in the first round of the women's singles. She experienced defeat when opposing Yuan Ji Nan (FRA). Farah Abdelaziz (EGY) makes her Olympic Games debut Appearances: lost in the first round in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) Romania (8) Elizabeta Samara (ROU) reached the third round of the women's singles. She was surprisingly beaten by Suthasini Sawettabut (THA). Bernadette Szocs (ROU) suffered an unexpected third round women's singles defeat. She lost to Liu Juan (USA). Partnering with Ovidiu Ionescu, Bernadette Szocs reached the mixed doubles quarter-finals. Daniela Monteiro-Dodean (ROU) makes her first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: lost in the bronze medal round one in Beijing (2008), lost a round Rio de Janeiro. Page 3 14.30 Australia (Michelle Bromley, Jian Fang Lay, Melissa Tapper) v Germany (Han Ying, Shan Xiaona, Petrissa Solja) Australia Michelle Bromley (AUS) was beaten in the first round of the women's singles by Natalia Partyka (POL) Jian Fang Lay (AUS) reached the women's singles second round; Li Qian (POL) ended progress. Melissa Tapper (AUS) makes her first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: eliminated in the group stage in Beijing (2008), lost in the first round in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) Germany Han Ying (GER) reached the women's singles quarter-final. She lost to bronze medallist Sung Yingsha (CHN). Petrissa Solja (GER) experienced a surprise third-round women's singles defeat when facing Zhang Mo (CAN). Shan Xiaona (GER) makes her first appearance in Tokyo. Appearances: eliminated in the group stage in Beijing (2008), quarter-finalists in London (2012), silver medallists in Rio de Janeiro (2016). 19.30 Chinese Taipei (Chen Szu-Yu, Cheng Hsien-Tzu, Cheng I-Ching) v United States (Liu Juan, Wang Huijing, Lily Zhang) Chinese Taipei Chen Szu-Yu (TPE) reached the fourth round of the women's singles, losing to Sun Yingsha (CHN), the eventual silver medallist. Cheng I-Ching (TPE) experienced a surprise third-round defeat at the hands of Yu Mengyu (SGP). Cheng Hsien-Tzu (TPE) makes her Olympic Games debut. United States Lily Zhang was beaten by Chen Szu-Yu (TPE) in the third round of the women's singles event; they could meet again.