Defending champion Honoka Hashimoto\u2019s bid to go back-to-back at WTT Contender Taiyuan has fallen short, after she was comprehensively beaten 3-11, 3-11, 2-11 Satsuki Odo in women’s singles semi-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hashimoto was flying through the playing field in the lead up to the semifinal, navigating her first three matches without dropping a single game, but she was outclassed at the penultimate hurdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Odo, could count herself fortunate to find herself in the last four, having been taken the full distance one round earlier by Sakura Yokoi before winning 12-10, 11-8, 11-13, 10-12, 11-6. But Odo looked a completely different player in the last four, needing just 18 minutes to break down Hashimoto\u2019s defensive wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standing between Odo and the women\u2019s singles crown is another Japanese defender, Hitomi Sato, who banked her ticket to the final with an impressive 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 victory over No.2 seed Shi Xunyao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Xunyao saw her singles hopes shatter, she did lay claim to the first title of the week, joining forces with Huang Youzheng to beat top seeds Doo Hoi Kem-Wong Chun Ting 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 in the mixed doubles final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the men\u2019s singles draw, qualifier Maharu Yoshimura extended his magnificent run to storm into the final in Taiyuan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n