YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) — Three-time European doubles champion Tamara Boros of Croatia became the biggest casualty in the women's first round at the world table tennis championships.
The 31-year-old from Zagreb, the semi-finalist in the 2003 championships, bowed to Anastasia Voronova of Russia 11-9, 11-5, 11-1, 13-15, 14-16, 11-7.
Boros was ranked 35th against the Russian's 172nd.
Top favourites, led by Chinese world number ones Wang Hao and Zhang Yining, waltzed into the second round with comfortable victories.
Wang Hao, two-time Olympic silver medallist, eased aside Zeng Cem of Turkey 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, while Beijing Olympic champion Zhang Yining whipped Andrea Bakula of Croatia 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.
"I was able to play nimbly. It was a satisfactory start as the first match of the tournament," said Zhang.
The Chinese paddlers, who monopolized all the titles in the previous two championships as well as the Beijing Olympics, strongly manoeuvred from all the quarters.
Beijing Olympic gold medallist Ma Lin needed six games to beat Alfredo Carneros of Spain 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-2 and join Wang Hao into the men's singles second round.
The 2008 Pro Tour Grand Finals winner Ma Long outgunned Zolt Pete of Serbia 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5, while three-time former world champion Wang Liqin trounced Artur Daniel of Poland 11-4, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2.
South Korea's Ryu Seung-Min, Oh Sang-Eun and 2003 world silver medallist Joo Se-Hyuk joined the Chinese as well as world number six Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus.
In the women's field, defending champion Guo Yue punished India's Poulomi Ghatak 11-8, 11-3, 11-3, 11-7, while world silver medallist Li Xiaoxia powered past Anisara Muangsuk of Thailand 11-6, 11-4, 11-7, 11-2.
Guo Yan, the Grand Finals winner, was an easy 11-1, 11-2, 11-1, 11-2 winner over Natali Ruvman of Israel.
The only loss on the Chinese side came from 18th seed Yao Yan, who crashed to Park Young-Sook of South Korea 11-5, 11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7.
Athens Olympic bronze medallist Kim Kyung-Ah of South Korea, Beijing Olympic quarter-finalist Feng Tianwei of Singapore and Hong Kong's Tie Yana and Jiang Huajun safely went through.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
