The ITTF World Tour will make it’s way to Budapest, Hungary next weekend from 20th – 23rd February. The second World Tour event of the year will be led by the two Japanese teenage sensations Tomokazu Harimoto and Mima Ito.

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Tomokazu Harimoto in Budapest - Via ITTF Flickr

Japan hasn’t taken home a Hungarian Open title on the men’s side for 10 years when it was won by Jun Mizutani who features as the number 6 seed in this year's men’s singles. Harimoto and Mizutani will be joined by Koki Niwa at number 5 seed. The trio will be hoping to bring back the World Tour title to Japan. Also, in the seedings is Dimitrij Octcharov who recently pulled out of the Europe Top 16 due to illness. Let’s hope he is feeling better and can continue his good run of form which includes an excellent recent win over world number 2 Fan Zhendong in the German Open. Number 2 seed, Hugo Calderano will be full of confidence coming from yet another Pan Am Cup victory.

Five of the top ten seeds in the women’s draw hail from Japan including top seed Mima Ito, second seed Kasumi Ishikawa, number 4 seed Miu Hirano, number 6 seed Hitomi Sato and number 10 seed Miyu Kato. The Japanese quintet will be gunning for Japan’s first victory in Hungary since 2015 when Misako Wakamiya took the title. Continental Cup champions Adriana Diaz from Puerto Rico and Germany’s Petrissa Solja will be looking to upset the party at number 8 and 9 seed respectively.

Who will be crowned champion in Budapest? Let us know your thoughts and predictions on the TabeTennisDaily Forum.
 
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