China's three men, three women advance to semifinals at WTT Star Contender

BUDAPEST, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender European Summer Series 2022 entered the third day of the main draw here on Friday, with three male and as many female paddlers from China advanced to the singles semifinals.

Top seed Ma Long beat compatriot Lin Gaoyuan 3-2 to set up a semifinal clash with another teammate Wang Chuqin, who defeated Lin Yun-Ju from Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

The other men's singles semifinal will pit second-seeded Chinese Liang Jingkun and Swede Truls Moregard after Liang edged South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon 3-2 and Moregard beat Slovenian Darko Jorgic 3-1.

In the women's singles, third seed Wang Manyu outplayed Mima Ito from Japan 3-2 to win the last semifinal seat after second seed Sun Yingsha defeated Hina Hayata 3-0, Wang Yidi beat Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong, China 3-0 and Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa rallied past Brazil's Bruna Takahashi 3-2.

In the doubles play, Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan and Ma Long/Wang Chuqin advanced to the men's doubles semifinals, while their fellow Chinese Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu reached the women's doubles semis after eliminating Japanese duo Miu Hirano/Kasumi Ishikawa 3-1.

The mixed doubles finalists were also confirmed, with Chinese pair Wang Chuqin/Wang Manyu and Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto/Hina Hayata competing for the title on Saturday.

The men's and women's singles semifinals, and men's and women's doubles semifinals will also be held here on Saturday.