Sixth seed departs, Adriana Diaz causes early upset
(by Ian Marshall, Editor/Photo: Jan Brychta)

Winner earlier in the year at the Pan American Junior Championships and then more recently a clean sweep of titles at the Central American and Caribbean Games; Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz was the player to cause the biggest upset, as play commenced in the opening round of the Women’s Singles event at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Czech Open in Olomouc on Thursday 23rd August.

The 17 year old from the Caribbean island, required to compete in the qualification tournament, accounted for Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, the no.6 seed (11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7).

Success for Adriana Diaz against the odds but it was very much the favourites who prevailed in the early exchanges; the one other seed to fall being the host nation’s Hana Matelova, the no.15 seed. She was beaten in seven games by Japan’s very impressive 16 year old Miyu Nagasaki (11-9, 13-11, 6-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8).

Otherwise it was success for the leading names with Japan very much to the forefront.

In addition to Miyu Nagasaki; Kasumi Ishikawa, the top seed, beat Germany’s Kristin Lang (11-9, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 11-7), Miu Hirano, the no.3 seed, accounted for colleague Mizuki Morizono (11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5).

Likewise, in the closest contest of the round to date, by the very narrowest of decisions, Saki Shibata, the no.7 seed, overcame Wu Yue of the United States, the reigning Pan American Games champion (8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9); rather less dramatically in the battle of the defenders, Honoka Hashimoto, the no.9 seed, defeated Li Jie of the Netherlands (11-4, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7).

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