London 2012: Kim Kyung Ah Ousted In The Women Singles Quarterfinals

The Women Singles of the 2012 London Olympics is nearing it's end as they have their quarterfinal round today in the Excel Arena in London. The participating players are the top ranking paddlers from China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and the Netherlands. 

Feng Tianwei SIN - Kim Kyung Ah KOR  

The third seed Kim Kyung Ah entered into the round with her ever reliable defensive skills and she indeed got a lead. However, her world-class chopping skills and an occasional topspins were already familiar for Feng Tianwei. Eventually, although Kim Kyung Ah was still a strong opponent, sixth seed Feng Tianwei was able to get good control over the match. 

At some point in the match, Kim Kyung Ah was able to break the momentum of her opponent amidst the even more powerful and smart topspins from Feng Tianwei. Especially, in the fifth set, Kim Kyung Ah's fighting spirit was still very strong, leading Feng Tianwei into a really tough chapter in her Olympic journey in London.

However, towards the end, she found herself drifting away from the semifinals as Feng Tianwei was firing her guns here and there. At the end, Kim Kyung Ah bid farewell as Feng Tianwei sealed the match with 13-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-6, 10-12.

Kasumi Ishikawa JPN - Wang Yuegu SIN

The fourth seed and the highest Ranking Japanese Kasumi Kishikawa faced the eighth seed Wang Yuegu of Singapore. Despite being at a very young age, the Japanese player established herself well in the match. However, in the opening set, it was the veteran Wang Yuegu who got the first advantage. 

Losing the opening set did not actually destroy the disposition of Ishikawa. In fact, the Japanese paddler played even better and stronger, making Wang Yuegu feel uncomfortable in the arena. It was 3-1 against Wang Yuegu.

In the fifth set, Kasumi ishikawa maintained her momentum and successfully sealed her place in the semifinal round. Meanwhile, Wang Yuegu had to take her rest earlier than the others. Kasumi Ishikawa scored 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, 11-4. 

Ding Ning CHN - Ai Fukuhara JPN 

The fifth seed Ai Fukuhara surprisingly entered into the match with great condition against Ding Ning. Unlike her previous performances, Fukuhara played relatively strong today with powerful topspins, making Ding Ning to play as a defender at some points in the match.  

However, that doesn't automatically mean momentum for Ai Fukuhara. The Japanese may gotten better but Ding Ning is Ding Ning, the top seed and the reigning world champion from China. At the end of four sets, Ding Ning advanced into the semifinals with a powerful 15-13, 11-6, 11-6, and 11-4.  

Li Jiao NED - Li Xiaoxia CHN 

The fourth match in the round was between Li Xiaoxia of China and Li Jiao of Netherlands. The eleventh seed Li Jiao is actually a strong player in the European scene. She was hailed as the Women Singles champion in last year's European Championships. 

However, today, against the Chinese and second seed Li Xiaoxia, Li Jiao's strength was not enough to defend herself from the powerful topspins of her opponent. Just like her teammate, Li Xiaoxia also surpassed the quarterfinal round with a 4-0, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7.

As for the semifinals, Ding Ning will meet her old rival Feng Tianwei of Singapore while Li Xiaoxia will defend the second half of the draw against Kasumi Ishikawa. The penultimate round will take place 16:00-18:00 local time. 

Photo source: hitfix.com