Table tennis: Japan's Mizutani through to men's 3rd round at worlds

Asian Economic News, May 28, 2007

ZAGREB, May 24 Kyodo

Teenage national champion Jun Mizutani pulled off an upset win in the men's singles to join fellow Japanese representatives Yo Kan, Ai Fukuhara and Sayaka Hirano in the third round at the world table tennis championships on Wednesday.

High school student and German Bundesliga player Mizutani, who is ranked 94th in the world, lived up to his billing as a giant killer eliminating 12th-ranked Li Ching of Hong Kong with an 11-9, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3 victory in the second round.

''I was in pretty good shape to the degree that I amazed myself,'' said the 17-year-old, who is known for beating Taiwanese No. 1 Chuan Chih-yuan, fifth at the 2004 Athens Olympics, in his world championship debut two years ago in Shanghai.

Mizutani's scalps from recent international tournaments also include reigning Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min of South Korea and Athens Olympic silver medalist Wang Hao of China.

Chinese-born Yo Kan also booked a place in the third round after handing Germany's Joerg Rosskopf a 10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 12-14, 11-9, 11-7 defeat. But world junior champion Kenta Matsudaira crashed out after a full-set loss to Hong Kong's Leung Chu Yan.

In the women's singles, popular teenager Fukuhara put her double disappointment in the doubles behind her with a 11-2, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 rout of Czech Iveta Vacenovska in the second round.

Hirano ousted Cho Ha La of South Korea with a 11-7, 11-3, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9 win. Haruna Fukuoka, Hiroko Fujii and Reiko Hiura were knocked out of the singles after second-round defeats.

In the men's doubles, Japanese pair Mizutani and Seiya Kishikawa downed Sweden's Fredrik Hakansson and Jorgen Persson in five games.

However, all the Japanese are out of the mixed doubles after three pairs fell in the third round.

Fukuhara and Kishikawa were ousted by German duo Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Zhengi Barthel after the 18-year-old and partner Ai Fujinuma lost to South Koreans Cho and Moon Hyun Jung in the women's doubles second round.

In the 2006 world championships, Fukuhara and Fujinuma missed out on a medal with a quarterfinal defeat.