The withdrawal of top seeds, Ma Long, Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong, Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen hit the headline of day 2 of qualification action. While some strong contenders in mixed doubles almost fell short from making the main draw, some 'lucky loser' received a second chance.
Mixed Doubles Main Draw Decided
Fang Bo/Wang Yidi edges another 7-game thriller in round 4 of the qualification round for mixed doubles. The pair played against Wang Bo/Wang Shu and came back from 2-3 down to win the contested deciding 7th game with the slenderest 2-point margin. Zhu Linfeng/Feng Yalan also played a full stretch of 7 games and won 4-3 over promising young pair Cao Wei/Zhang Binyue. Despite the loss, the young ones are granted a second chance to compete in the main round owing the withdrawal of top seeds. Another 'lucky loser' went to Xia Yizheng/Che Xiaoxi who were defeated 2-4 by Ma Te/Liu Fei, the only defensive mixed doubles in the main draw.
Young Generations On the Singles Scene
Reigning cadet national champion Leng Yutong failed to extend her success at the Nationals in the open category. The 15-year-old had some really good chances to take the lead in the first few games but her opponent Zhang Binyue being a bit more consistent and versatile in playing the spiny shots took the game with a 4-2 victory. On the men's side, Chen Yaxuan, aged 15, went neck and neck against Yang Shuo but it soon changed when Yang Shuo made a few catching-the-net shots in the 7th game and the 15-year-old lost 3-4 despite an outstanding performance. A penhold battle between 2 generations was staged on day 2 action. Zhao Zihao had a clean 4-0 victory over 2003-born Kuang Li. It may sound one-sided but the scores won't tell you how exciting those rallies were played in the match.
Top Seeds Withdraw To Buy Time For Rest
China's top athletes were depleted after weeks of world tours and T2 Diamond competitions. Ma Long, Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong, Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen decided to withdraw the Nationals to rest their body and mind so that they could look fresh and ready in the next time they compete.
Head coach of the men's team Qin Zhijian said Ma Long will work on his physical fitness and injury prevention while Xu Xin, excelled in the previous meets, will review problems in mixed doubles. Fan Zhendong has been through some ups and downs after the World Championships. The coaching team is aware of that and will help Fan Zhendong both technically and spiritually to regain his composure soon.
Similarly, on the women's team, Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen, the older athletes on the team, have to deal with different degrees of injuries and pains after a gruelling competition schedule. Since there are still several international meets to come in the following months, the national team coaches decided to pull out the older athletes so that they can come back fully recovered.
It wasn't an easy decision because their absence would be a big blow to the provincial team they are representing but taking a break for accomplishing the bigger Olympic goal is apparently the top priority for all parties.
Team Draws Announced Uncertainties Remain
The team draw ceremony concluded on day 2 of the Nationals but it's still hard to make any preview for the team matches because the official roster for each team has not yet been announced. Moreover, the absence of the top players adds suspense to the team field. Perhaps it's time to test the depth of each team and we might see second-tier players stepping up to the plate. The team event will begin on 30 July.
Check the team draws Men's Team, Women's Team!
Qualification rounds for men's and women's singles continue and main draw for mixed doubles will kick off tomorrow.
Catch Up:
Day 2 Morning Session 1
WS R1: Qi Fei..Wang Tianyi...Liu Qiongwen...Guo Yan...Zhao Lin...Li Jiayuan
Day 2 Morning Session 2
WS R1: Zhang Chi...Yang Yiyun...Jiang Yue...Zuo Yue...Qin Yuxuan... Pan Yingying... Zhu Jiaxi... Zhang Binyue vs Leng Yutong
Day 2 Morning Session 3
WS R1: Guo Xinyi...Guo Lin...Kuai Man... Ma Wanhan...Liu Weishan vs Sun Chen...
Day 2 Afternoon Session 1
XD R4: Fang Bo/Wang Yidi...
MS R1: Sun Zheng...Xia Yizheng vs Lin Chen... Ma Te vs Cheng Jingqi...Zhu Jinpeng...Xue Fei
Day 2 Afternoon Session 2
XD R4: Zhou Kai/Sun Mingyang...Zhao Zhaoyan/Huang Fanzhen
MS R1: Liu Dong...Liang Guodong... Sun Wen...Yuan Licen...Zhao Zihao vs Kuang Li... Wei Shihao...He Xiang
Day 2 Afternoon Session 3
XD R4: Ma Te/Liu Fei vs Xia Yizheng/Che Xiaoxi
MS R1: Zhai Chao...Yang Shuo vs Chen Yaxuan...Wang Qikai...Zeng Beixun...Shang Kun
You may be interested in:
Draws & Results (live scoring)
Mixed Doubles
Men's Singles
Women's Singles
Men's Team
Women's Team
AND
The 2019 Chinese Nationals Guide provides an overview of the competition format, schedule, how you can watch and links related to the Chinese Nationals, so you won't have to miss a thing if you can't watch it all.
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