Japan Top 12 and WTTC 2019 Trial, 3/2-3

[zeio]

1st day of competition will see 8 contestants duke it out to determine the winner who will get the final spot for singles at the WTTC 2019.

The winner will join the other 4 players who have been selected for WTTC singles in Stage 2 and the winner will be the Champion of Japan Top 12 2019.

Of note here is that the men's and women's finals of Stage 2 will be broadcast live in prime time on Fuji TV, a major TV station. Folks in Japan are so stoked since this is a 1st in recent years.

[Players]
● March 3 (Sun)
◆ Men's
Tomokazu Harimoto (JOC Elite Academy)
Koki Niwa (Svensson)
Jun Mizutani (Kinoshita Group)
Kazuhiro Yoshimura (Aichi Institute of Technology)
◆ Women's
Kasumi Ishikawa (Zennoh)
Mima Ito (Starts SC)
Miu Hirano (Nippon Life Insurance)
Hitomi Sato (Miki House)

● March 2 (Sat)
◆ Men's
Yuya Oshima (Kinoshita Group)
Yuki Hirano (Kyowa Hakko Kirin)
Yukiya Uda (JOC Elite Academy/Ohara Gakuen)
Kenji Matsudaira (Kyowa Hakko Kirin)
Shunsuke Togami (Noda Gakuen High School)
Taimu Arinobu (Ricoh)
Masataka Morizono (Okayama Rivets)
Masaki Yoshida (Okayama Rivets)
◆ Women's
Saki Shibata (Miki House)
Hina Hayata (Nippon Life Insurance)
Miyu Kato (Nippon Paint Holdings)
Sakura Mori (Nippon Life Insurance)
Asuka Sasao (Waseda University)
Minami Ando (Senshu University)
Miyuu Kihara (JOC Elite Academy)
Miyu Nagasaki (JOC Elite Academy/Ohara Gakuen)

 

[Vlad Celler]

Tomorrow seeding ....Male and female eights ...Knockout ....

 

[Vlad Celler]

On March 2, the fifth participants of the Japanese team at ITTF WTTC - 2019 will be determined...
March 3 formally played 1 - 5 places ....

In WTTC - 2017, Ishikawa, Hirano, Ito, Sato and Kato Miyu played women's singles ...Hayata played only in WD .....
How will this year, we learn the day after tomorrow .....

 

[zeio]

Updated post with new trailer.

 

[zeio]

Bumping with the final trailer.

 

[zeio]

Draw Ceremony

【Draw】
<Men's>
Yuya Oshima vs Masaki Yoshida
Taimu Arinobu vs Matsudaira Kenji
Uda Yukiya vs. Shunsuke Togami
Masataka Morizono vs Yuki Hirano

<Women's>
Saki Shibata vs Miyu Nagasaki
Asaka Sasao vs Sakura Mori
Miyu Kato vs Minami Ando
Miyuu Kihara vs Hina Hayata

 

[zeio]

All 4 tables streamed live right now. Japanese VPN needed.
https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/tabletennis/2019/senkoukai/

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

Hayata just won 4-2 against Kihara

 

[Vlad Celler]

http://japantabletennis.com/top12_2019/page-live.php?mode=20

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

i didn't expect SHIBATA to lose to NAGASAKI

 

[zeio]

I didn't expect Kato to beat Ando either.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

is Hayata sponsored by Burberry's ?

 

[zeio]

Hayata can't ease off to conserve stamina for tomorrow.

She has quite a lot of trouble receiving Kihara's shovel serve and Kato's tomahawk.

Hayata is turning the game into BH battles. 5:5 -> 10:5. Her FH is just off today. 10:7, 10:8, 10:9, 10:10, 10:11, 11:11, 11:12, 11:13.

5 match points wasted.

 

[Vlad Celler]

Kato - Hyata is not sure that Hyata will win ..

 

[Vlad Celler]

Although Hyata will still go, but participation only in the WD ....

 

[BlipBlop575]

Hayata must be feeling the pressure, she was up 10:5 in the decider but Kato has come back.. Still not over
Nevemind, it is now..

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

****, i am so disappointed for HAYATA. and pissed off.

I knew KATO was going to be a tough opponent. HAYATA completely choked. She had so much pressure into this event.
She's been winning everything in the last 3 months, except that match.. and now she's going to watch the WTTC singles on the bench.

Why on earth did JTTA give the wild card BEFORE the qualification tournament is over, and gave it to SATO ?

They cannot undo it now, and its really a pity.

 

[Vlad Celler]

Agreed...

 

[zeio]

****, i am so disappointed for HAYATA. and pissed off.

I knew KATO was going to be a tough opponent. HAYATA completely choked. She had so much pressure into this event.

Why on earth did JTTA give the wild card BEFORE the qualification tournament is over, and gave it to SATO ?

They cannot undo it now, and its really a pity.

Meanwhile, LGL after learning the news.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

good for KATO, I'm happy for her, she's a good girl, a fighter, but come on, her level is way below Hayata, even she won this match