Doha, February 19, 2009 – Japan’s 15 year old Kasumi Ishikawa stole the show on the second day of play in the preliminary round of the women’s singles event at the Qatar Open in Doha on Wednesday 18th February 2009.

In the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event, she beat Korea’s Moon Hyun Jung, the eleventh highest world ranked player in action and the player who in 2005, at the Volkswagen 48th World Championships in Shanghai, had ended the reign of China’s legendary Wang Nan, then the defending Women’s Singles champion.

Defeat for one highly rated player in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event and there were more.

Korea’s Choi Moon Young, Ko So Mi and Seo Hyo Won avenged their compatriot’s defeat. Choi Moon Young defeated Italy’s Nikoleta Stefanova, Ko So Mi overcame Hong Kong Zhang Rui and Seo Hyo Won ended the hopes of Japan’s Ai Fujinuma.

However, for the top three players in action it was a safe passage; Italy’s Wenling Tan Monfardini, Korea’s Lee Eun Hee and Japan’s Reiko Hiura finished as group winners.

Meanwhile, in the corresponding qualification stage of the Men’s Singles event, Turkey’s Bora Vang bid farewell. The highest male world ranked player on duty in the first stage of proceedings, he was beaten in the preliminary round by Ukraine’s Ivan Katkov.

Defeat for Katkov but not for the next three in line; Russia’s Igor Rubtsov and Maksim Shmyryev plus Germany’s Zoltan Fejer=Konnerth all finished as group winners and booked their places in the main draw.

In men's singles preliminary round European players enjoyed success; ten matches on view and nine wins for Europe.

The one win that eluded the mother continent of table tennis had to be an Asian victory, with India’s Pathik Mehta overcoming Lebanon’s Khalil Hallal; the Indian succeeding in four straight games.

Otherwise it was an unending string of European successes.

Leading the charge was Croatia’s Borna Kovac and Ukraine’s Ivan Katkov.

Kovac succeeded 11-9, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10.

Hungary enjoyed great success; David Zombori, Daniel Kosiba, Janos Jakab and Krisztian Nagy were all in impressive form.

Zombori recorded a six games win over Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali, the Under 21 Men’s Singles silver medallist in Kuwait one week earlier; whilst Kosiba accounted for India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Jakab ended the progress of Denmark’s Kasper Sternberg and Nagy defeated Sourav Chakraborty, also from India.

Success for Hungary and there was also success for Germany; success at the expense of India.

Ruwen Filus overcame Kumar Jubin whilst Steffen Mengel overpowered Sanil Shetty.

In the one remaining preliminary round match it was success for Romania’s Ovidiu Ionescu, the Under 21 Men’s Singles champion at the Salwa Cup Kuwait Open, he inflicted more pain on India.

He beat Subhajit Saha.