Ma Long Tops Simon Gauzy on Day 1 of Seamaster T2 Diamond 2019 Malaysia
Mima Ito narrowly fails to pull off comeback win over Japanese compatriot Miyu Kato
Johor Bahru, 18 July 2019 – Seamaster T2 Diamond 2019 Malaysia got underway at Iskandar Malaysia Studios in Johor Bahru with four matches played in the opening session.
The capacity crowd at the T2Cavern was thrilled by the exciting play served up by the world’s best, none more so than the final match where world champion Ma Long and Simon Gauzy played out several long rallies which involved giant smashes and spectacular returns.
The all-Japanese tie between Mima Ito and Miyu Kato went the absolute distance, with Kato winning the long games, and Ito nearly pulling off a memorable win by taking two of the FAST5 games but just failing to clinch the match-winning point.
Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Meng also won in the opening session to book their places in the quarter-finals.
Match 1: WANG Chuqin (CHN) 1 - 4 LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) (11-8, 7-11, 5-11, 7-11, 4-5*)
Higher-ranked Lin Gaoyuan overcame a slow start to despatch Wang Chuqin over five games in the opening match that was decided by a FAST5 game. Lin took time to settle in and started pinning down Wang as he found his range and accuracy, clearly the better player in longer rallies. The FAST5 offered Wang a quick route to get back but Lin did not waver.
Match 2: DOO Hoi Kem (HKG) 2 - 4 CHEN Meng (CHN) (5-11, 10-11, 11-7, 2-11, 5-1*, 3-5*)
Doo will take heart from this performance where she took two games off world number one Chen Meng, including one of two FAST5 games played. It was Doo who fought back after dropping the first, and the Hong Kong player ran her opponent close in the second game before finally breaking through to win the third game. But Chen stepped up a gear to dominate the fourth, and came back strong to seal victory with the second FAST5 game.
Match 3: Mima ITO (JPN) 3 - 4 Miyu KATO (JPN) (11-4, 4-11, 10-11, 4-11, 5-1*, 5-1*, 4-5*)
Higher-ranked Mima Ito almost pulled off victory on FAST5 games but failed by a narrow miss on her final shot against her fellow Japanese. The 18-year-old Ito won the first game easily then proceeded to drop the next three, as Miyu Kato stepped up with more variation in her game while Ito found her shots missing the mark. The FAST5 offered redemption for Ito as she could still win the match by taking three consecutive games. She won the first two easily but fell behind in the final game. Fighting back from 2-4 down, Ito took the match to a deciding point but a good serve from Kato earned her a memorable win at the T2Cavern.
Match 4: MA Long (CHN) 4 - 1 Simon GAUZY (FRA) (11-7, 11-9, 11-4, 6-11, 5-0*)
Higher-ranked Mima Ito almost pulled off victory on FAST5 games but failed by a narrow miss on her final shot against her fellow Japanese. The 18-year-old Ito won the first game easily then proceeded to drop the next three, as Miyu Kato stepped up with more variation in her game while Ito found her shots missing the mark. The FAST5 offered redemption for Ito as she could still win the match by taking three consecutive games. She won the first two easily but fell behind in the final game. Fighting back from 2-4 down, Ito took the match to a deciding point but a good serve from Kato earned her a memorable win at the T2Cavern.
Player Quotes
Wang Chuqin:
It got harder to play once my opponent found his range and got into rhythm. It’s disappointing to lose in the opening round but I will fight on.
Lin Gaoyuan:
It took a while to get used to the conditions and once I made the adjustments things went a lot better. This format is fast and exciting to play.
Doo Hoi Kem:
Quite normal to drop the first game seeing as my opponent is stronger than me. I will focus on doing well for my upcoming matches.
Chen Meng:
In competition, can’t expect things to go all my way, so the dropped sets were quite normal. So I just kept my focus and hope in my future matches I can get into my rhythm a lot faster.
Mima Ito:
I’m not used to the FAST5 format but it worked well for me, Sadly I wasn’t able to clinch the winning point.
Miyu Kato:
I thought the FAST5 might work well for me but I lost two games, so that was scary. I’m not high enough in the rankings to think about the Olympics so I will take this win and continue working hard.
Ma Long:
This competition, the setting, atmosphere and format is all new to me and I’m excited to take on this new challenge. I didn’t have much time to think about the FAST5 so will learn as I go.
Simon Gauzy:
He’s the greatest player I’ve ever played against and I enjoyed this match a lot. I will enjoy the summer holidays now and get ready for the next season and the Olympics.
• Seamaster T2 Diamond 2019 Malaysia sponsors include: Seamaster (Title Partner), Pocari Sweat (Platinum Partner), Tibhar, Zen-noh (Silver Partner), Fraser Place, A1 A.K. KOH, 98 Group (Official Suppliers). Tickets are available for sale from MYR 39 to MYR 149 on AirAsia RedTix.
• Official T2 Diamond merchandise available online at https://store.t2apac.com/
• Spectators can also check out the delicious fare served at the food trucks at the venue
About International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
The International Table Tennis Federation is the global governing body of Table Tennis. Affiliated to six Continental and 226 National Associations, the ITTF coordinates over 100 international events per year and has long been represented at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In accordance with its Strategic Plan, the ITTF is fully committed to growing the sport in five key areas: Organisation & Governance, High Performance & Development, International Events, Promotion and Revenue.
Find out more about the International Table Tennis Federation at ITTF.com.
Media contact: media@ittf.com
About T2 Diamond Table Tennis League (T2 Diamond):
T2 Diamond Table Tennis League is the most prestigious series of annual professional events organised in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation. T2 Diamond 2019 will feature 32 of the world’s best men’s and women’s players competing across three tournaments for a combined prize purse of USD 1.5 million, and bonus ITTF World Ranking points as they battle their way to 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification. The revolutionary league employs a unique competition format and various other innovations that catapult table tennis into a truly entertaining spectator sport, whilst providing players with the ultimate environment in which to compete and excel.
Headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Chicago, T2 Diamond is committed to unlocking the true commercial potential of table tennis by expanding its appeal through its high quality, immersive content and venue experience.
Find out more about T2 Diamond at www.t2diamond.com
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Media contact: media@t2apac.com
