Japanese champion upsets Ma

OSAKA, OCT 3: Japanese national champion Seiko Iseki caused a major upset at the Asian Table Tennis Championships today, eliminating four...

OSAKA, OCT 3: Japanese national champion Seiko Iseki caused a major upset at the Asian Table Tennis Championships today, eliminating fourth-seeded Ma Lin of China in the men’s singles.

The 36-year-old left-hander, better known as Seoul Olympics doubles champion, alongwith Wei Qing Guang from China, beat the World number 11, 21-18 21-18, 21-10 in a third round match.

Iseki, who said his best table tennis memory was the 1988 Olympics final, gained Japanese nationality in July last year and became his adopted country’s National champion in December.

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There were no other upsets in the men’s competition with Atlanta Olympics dual gold medallist Liu Guolang, fellow Chinese Wang Liqin, Van Sen and Liu Guozheng safely through to the fourth round.

Seoul Olympics singles champion Yoo Nam-Kyu and Barcelona Olympics bronze medallist Kim Taek-Soo are also into the fourth round with Lee Chul-Seung, Park Sang-Joon and Oh Sang-Eun.

Japan booked four more places with world doubles bronze medallists Hiroshi Shibutaniand Koji Matsushita, Ryo Yuzawa and Toshio Tasaki, while Chiang Peng-Lung of Taiwan and Liu Jun Hui of Malaysia also kept their hopes alive.

In the women’s third round, 11th seed Kim Moo-Kyo of South Korea fell victim at the hand of Wong Ching of Hong Kong 21-14, 20-22, 14-21, 15-21. But the other favourites, led by China’s world number two Li Jun and number three Wang Nan, continued their winning way.