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fAt the Asian General Zone Olympic Qualification Tournament in Hong Kong in March, Korea’s Dang Ye Seo caused the major upset of proceedings by beating China’s Wang Nan, the 2000 Olympic Games Women’s Singles champion and three times Women’s Singles World champion.

In Yokohama in the first round of the Women’s Singles event at the Volkswagen Open Japan on Friday 23rd May 2008, she repeated the feat; she beat Wang Nan, seeded four, in a tense seven games duel to book her place in the second round.

Wang Nan was one of four seeded players to fall in the opening round of the Women’s Singles event, the others being Li Jiao of the Netherlands, Hong Kong’s Lin Ling and Japan’s Sayaka Hirano. Li Jiao lost to Hungary’s Geogina Pota, Lin Ling suffered at the hands of China’s Cao Zhen, whilst Sayaka Hirano was beaten by Hong Kong’s Lau Sui Fei.

Defeat for Wang Nan but no such problems for her compatriots; top seed Zhang Yining defeated Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, second seed Guo Yue overcame Korea’s Lee Eun Hee and third seed Li Xiaoxia accounted for Germany’s Elke Wosik.

Meanwhile, in the first round of the Men’s Singles event it was a tale of two halves. Only one seed fell in the top half, that being Singapore’s Yang Zi who lost to Portugal’s João Monteiro but in the lower half of the draw it was a different story; four seeds departed.

Croatia’s Zoran Primorac lost to the rising Chinese star, Zhang Jike, Chinese Taipei’s Chuan Chih-Yuan was beaten by Hong Kong’s Leung Chu Yan whilst the Koreans, Ryu Seung Min and Oh Sang Eun both departed in virtual unison.

Leung Chu Yan’s colleague, Cheung Yuk, defeated Ryu Seung Min whilst Chinese Taipei’s Chiang Peng-Lung ended the hopes of Oh Sang Eun.

However, for the top four seeds in the Men’s Singles event, all from China, there were no great problems.

Top seed Wang Hao and second seed Ma Lin both defeated Japanese opponents in the respective guises of Kaii Yoshida and Masato Shiono, whilst third seed Wang Liqin beat Korea’s Yoon Jae Young and fourth seed Ma Long ended the aspirations of Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi.