(by Steve Hopkins)

While much of the U.S. audience is focused on the Feeder and Para events in Spokane, the top ranked Americans are finding success at the WTT Champions Series event in Yokohama.   Kanak Jha defeated World No. 32 Simon Gauzy 3-1 in their Round of 32 match-up today.  Gauzy took the first game 11-9, but Jha came back with a 14-12 win in the second game and then logged two solid wins to finish the match strong.  Jha next faces Kao Cheng-Jui of Taipei in the Round of 16.  Lily Zhang found similar success with her 3-2 win over Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem (World No. 39).  Zhang will have a tough opponent tomorrow when she faces Satsuki Odo (World No. 9) in their sweet sixteen matchup.

Lily Zhang is World No. 38 and Kanak Jha is World No. 31, so reaching the Round of 16 in a Champions Series event is a solid performance.  Both have already secured $6,000 USD and 90 ranking points.  That said, both hope to press further into the draw.  If Jha wins on Saturday morning, he likely faces World No. 1 Lin Shidong in the Quarterfinals.  And Zhang is in the same position in the Women’s draw – where is she beats Odo, she’ll likely face World No. 1 Sun Yingsha.  Great results for the Americans.

In the Men’s draw, Lin Shidong is set to face Dang Qiu on Saturday.  The other Round of 16 matchups are Harimoto versus Kallberg, Groth versus Xiang Peng, Moregard versus Matsushima, Jaehyun versus Felix Lebrun, Lind versus Togami, and World No. 2 Wang Chuqin versus Oh Junsung.  The other matchups in Women’s Singles are Sun Yingsha versus Hashimoto, Kuai Man versus Szocs, Shi Xunyao versus Mima Ito, Harimoto versus Hayata, Canada’s Mo Zhang versus Chen Xingtong, Wang Yidi versus Yangzi Liu, and Chen Yi versus Wang Manyu.

Lots of action still on tap for this weekend in Yokohama.

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