Leading Men On Duty, Warsaw to Provide Clear Guide to Lisbon List
2015 ITTF World Tour, Polish Open
Courtesy of ITTF
Competition mounting for a place in the prestigious Grand Finals, the leading names on duty in the Men’s Singles event at the forthcoming GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open, which starts in Warsaw on Wednesday October 21st, could all be present at the end of year tournament in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon.
In Warsaw China’s Ma Long, fresh from his success at the recent Liebherr 2015 Men’s World Cup, is the top seed; he is followed by his colleagues Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong and Zhang Jike.
Japan’s Jun Mizutani is the next in line, ahead of Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov; Portugal’s Marcos Freitas and Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan complete the top eight names.
Chuang Chih-Yuan
However, of that illustrious group, only Chuang Chih-Yuan has completed the mandatory requirement of competing in five Tour tournaments in the year to qualify for the Finals.
Poland will be his sixth appearance. Currently Chuang Chih-Yuan is named at no.11 (450 points) and can reasonably expect to be one of the 16 names that compete in the Men’s Singles event in Lisbon.
Fifth Excursion
Meanwhile, for Ma Long, Jun Mizutani and Dimitrij Ovtcharov; Poland will be their fifth excursion of the year; thus they will have met the necessary basic criteria.
Presently Ma Long leads the field (1,550 points), Dimitril Ovtcharov is at no.6 (625 points); both by appearing in Poland, with only the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open remaining, are Lisbon bound.
However, for Japan’s Jun Mizutani, the defending champion, qualification appears more than a possibility but as yet not a mathematical certainty. On the Race to Lisbon Standings, he is at no.13 (375 points).
Parachute
Likewise, the forthcoming GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open will be the fifth appearance of the year for Marcos Frietas; he is at no.11 (450 points) alongside Chuang Chih-Yuan but he has a parachute.
One place at the Grand Finals is reserved for a player from the host nation.
Three Appearances
Four appearances to date for Ma Long, Jun Mizutani, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Marcos Freitas; for the Chinese trio of Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong and Zhang Jike it is three appearances but notably all three appear on the entry list for Sweden and will thus meet the five appearance basic criteria.
On the Men’s Singles Standings, Xu Xin is at no.2 (1,100 points), Fan Zhendong at no.7 (600 points) with Zhang Jike being at no.8 (550 points).
Distinct Possibility
Places for the top eight on duty in Warsaw and for two names in particular just outside the elite group, an invitation to Lisbon is more than a possibility.
Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting is presently named at no.9 (541 points) on the Standing, Japan’s Koki Niwa is presently is at no.15 (356 points).
At the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Polish Open, Koki Niwa is the no.9 seed, Wong Chun Ting, the no.12 seed.
Clear Guide
Intense competition await but at the close of play, the guide to the names of those bound for Lisbon will be very clear, very clear indeed.
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