China Open: First Day Form Maintained, Nima Alamian Reaches New Heights in Shanghai

May 24, 2012

Courtesy of ITTF

Iran’s Nima Alamian was on cloud nine after securing top place in his group in the Men’s Singles event at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour China Open in Shanghai on Thursday May 24th.

After causing one of the biggest upsets on the opening day by beating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An (14-12, 14-12, 10-12, 11-8, 11-7), a talented young man who stands at no.90 on the Men’s World Ranking list, he concluded his first phase adventures by recording a second unexpected win.

He beat Hong Kong’s Tse Kan Chun in six games (11-6, 11-4, 11-7, 11-13, 8-11, 11-7).

Main Draw Place Secured
The win meant he concluded his day’s work as the happiest young man in the whole of Shanghai and in first place in his group.

A passport to the main draw had been secured.

World Ranking
Tse Ka Chun currently stands at no.235 on the Men’s World Ranking list; Nima Alamian is at no.402.

Family Affair
“I come from a table tennis family, both my father and uncle were national players and my uncle participated in the 1974 Tehran Asian Games; my brother and I just love this beautiful sport and now we train with my father eight hours a day," said Nima Alamian, who confessed that China's Ma Long is his role model and that he hoped he could play in the Chinese Super League one day.

"This is my second visit to China”, he said excitedly. “I shall do everything I can to realize my career dream.”

Good Form Maintained
A place in the main draw for Nima Alamian and it was the same for all the players who had caused upsets in the qualification stage of the Men’s Singles event on the first day of action.

All except one finished in first place in their respective groups and the one exception had to happen.

Lee Chia-Sheng Succeeds
On the first day of play both Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-Sheng and Japan’s Asuka Machi had beaten Sweden’s Jörgen Persson; the decision as to who finished the group in first place rested on the contest between the two.

The verdict went to way of Lee Chia-Sheng. He posted a seven games win (5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7).

Consolation
However, there was consolation for Asuka Machi; players finishing in first and second places in each group progress to the main draw, thus the adventures of the Japanese teenager continue.

More Japanese Success
Similarly for the others who had caused upsets on the first day of play, the good form continued; Asuka Machi’s colleagues Masaki Yoshida, Yuto Muramatsu and Yuki Tokiyoshi, all secured first place in their respective groups.

Masaki Yoshida, who on the opening day had beaten Singapore’ Chen Feng, continued his rich vein of form; he concluded his group matches with victory over Hong Kong’s Mak King Ho (11-8, 12-10, 16-14, 5-11, 11-6).

Equally impressive was Yuto Muramatsu; the victor one day earlier over England’s Andrew Baggaley, he finished his group matches with victory over Chinese Taipei’s Lai Yi-Yao (11-7, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8).

Points Ratio Verdict
Impressive wins but for the fourth Japanese players who had upset the seeding on day one it was defeat but first place in the group.

On the first day of action, Yuichi Tokiyoshi, a player with no World ranking, had upset matters by beating Pavel Platonov, currently globally listed at no.142 (7-11, 11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-9); later on the same day Pavel Platonov had recovered to beat DPR Korea’s Kim Nam Chol (9-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6), a result as expected, Kim Nam Chol stands at no.186 on the Men’s World Rankings.

The decision as to the final order in the group rested on the duel between Yuichi Tokiyoshi and Kim Nam Chol; the verdict went to Kim Nam Chol by the very narrowest of margins in the deciding seventh game (13-11, 11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 15-13).

Every match had gone the full seven games distance; therefore, points ratio was the determining factor. First place in the group went to Yuichi Tokiyoshi with Pave Platonov in second place ahead of Kim Nam Chol. Yuichi Tokiyoshi with Pave Platonov thus progressed to the main draw, for Kim Nam Chol it was sheer agony.

Better News for DPR Korea
No place in the main draw for Kim Nam Chol but that was not the situation for his colleague, Kan Wi Hun who had upset the World ranking by beating England’s Liam Pitchford on the first day of action.

He continued his winning ways, he accounted for Sweden’s Mattias Karlsson (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5) to conclude matters in top place in the group.

Further Players in Form
The good form maintained by Kang Wi Han; it was the same for Korea’s Kim Donghyun, Singapore’s Han Liunsi and Russia’s Grigory Vlasov.

All were in form on the first day of play; all were in form on the second.

Kim Donghyun who had beaten Germany’s Patrick Franziska in his opening match concluded his first stage matches with victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chang Shun-Hung (11-9, 11-8, 12-10, 16-14); whilst in a similar vein both Han Luinsi and Grigory Vlasov continued their good form.

Egyptian Sadness
Han Liunisi, who had beaten both Chiang Hung-Chieh and Kang Dong Hoon on the first day of play continued his rich vein of form.

He concluded his initial stage matches with victory over Egypt’s Omar Assar, the highest World ranked player in the group (13-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8).

Second place in the group went to Kang Dong Hoon who overcame Chiang Hung-Chieh (11-8, 11-5, 3-11, 12-10, 11-7) with Omar Assar, the favorite to win the group having to settle for fourth place with no wins to his credit.

Unexpected Fourth Place
Meanwhile, for Chinese Taipei’s Hung Tzu-Hsiang, also tipped a group winner, it was fourth place.

Beaten by DPR Korea’s Pak Sin Hyok and Russia’s Grigory Vlasov on the opening day; he suffered at the hands of Singapore’s Yu Jiaqing in the concluding group match (11-8, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4).

The eventual group winner was Grigory Vlasov; in the contest to determine first and second places, he overcame Pak Sin Hyok (14-12, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5).