Kasumi Ishikawa
By Sports Reporter/Doha

Simon Gauzy of France and Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa clinched the under-21 men’s and women’s singles titles at the GAC Group ITTF World Tour Qatar Open at the Women’s Sports Hall here yesterday.
Fourth seeded Gauzy defeated eighth seeded Chinese Taipei’s Hung Tzu-Hsiang 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7 while Ishikawa thrashed Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska in straight games, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, to clinch the title. In the women’s doubles semis, China’s Li Xiaodan and Wen Jia defeated compatriot Chen Meng and Gu Yuting 5-11, 11-8, 4-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10. Xiaodan and Jia will now lock horns with Singapore’s Li Jiawei and Sun Beibei in the summit clash. Jaiwei and Beibie showed Chinese duo of Feng Yalan and Yao Yan the exit, in four straight games, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.
In men’s action, top seeds Ma Lin and Xu Xin defeated Japan’s Kazuhiro Chan and Kenji Matsudaira 11-7, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8. The duo will now take on Korea’s Kim Dong Hyun and Lee Jung Woo, who got the better of Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn in six games, 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7.
“The final was not that difficult. Hung Tzu-Hsiang was not comfortable with the spin I imparted on the ball, against heavy top spin he made mistakes. I felt confident and my backhand service also caused him problems,” said a jubilant Gauzy. Ishikawa, the no.2 seed in the women’s singles, was shocked by Seok Ha Jung. The Korean won the contest 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 12-14, 11-8 to confirm her place in the quarters.
“Last year at the Harmony China Open in Suzhou, I played Kasumi Ishikawa, I led by three games to one and lost. When I lost the fourth game today, my mind went back to that match in Suzhou and after losing the sixth game I was feeling nervous, I was feeling the pressure,” said Seok Ha Jung.