Day three of the Japan Open saw a number of Europeans fall but the Men’s Singles looks enticing as three Danes have made it into the last eight, with two of them set to face each other in the Quarter-Finals tomorrow.
Good day for Denmark
Some impressive performances has opened up the Men’s Singles draw for three Danish players today.
Firstly, Jan O Jorgensen came through an absolute thriller against the fourth seed Tien Chen Chou (Chinese Tapei).
Jorgensen was on top form to upset the odds, in a match-up that went nearly 70 minutes. The Dane just about edged it, running out a 21-19, 11-21, 21-19 winner in Tokyo.
The first game was exceptional from the Dane. He looked comfortably beaten early on after Chou scored eight of the first nine points. Jorgensen fought back, however, coming from a massive 12-3 down to win the opening game 21-19.
The Indonesian Open winner fought back, however, scoring eight consecutive points in the second game, on route to an 11-21 win for the Chinese Tapei man. A back and forth decider looked like it could go either way but Jorgensen just about edged it, 21-19 once again, to take him into the last eight.
Another Dane who went the distance was Anders Antonsen, who went through an hour and 17-minute-long match-up with Cheuk Yiu Lee (Hong Kong).
The Indonesian Open finalist was off the pace early on, comfortably losing the opening game 13-21 as well so had to come from behind.
Luckily, in the second, he managed to hold his nerve and then dominate the deciding game to book his spot in the next round with a 13-21, 21-15, 21-16 win.
The final Dane into the last 16 is Rasmus Gemke as he put aside Kumar Prannoy (India) in straight games 21-9, 21-15.
Gemke was on top throughout, dominating the first game and then holding his nerve in the vital moments to take the second inside 50 minutes.
Jorgensen and Gemke will face each other tomorrow whilst Antonsen will face the 6th seed Jonatan Christie (Indonesia).
There was some bad news for Denmark in the Women’s Singles however as
21-year-old Mia Blichfeldt was knocked out in the last 16.
Blichfeldt put up a decent fight but the third seed, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, was just too much for her in the end and lost out 21-11, 21-12.
Europe’s final pairing
Elsewhere, a Mixed Doubles match-up between Germany’s Isabel Herttrich and Mark Lamsfuss and the Netherlands’ Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek.
After a poor day for Europe, with likes of Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith (England), plus Delphine Delrue and Lea Palermo (France) both losing to seeded players, it means that the German’s are the last European pair across all three disciplines in tomorrow’s Quarter-Finals.
See all of the results from today’s action here.