All four highest seeded players in the Women's Singles event at the Liebherr Qatar Open reached their duly allotted semi-final places on Thursday 24th February 2005.

All four come from China; thus guaranteeing the country that possesses an immense reservoir of table tennis talent a full complement of medals.

However, both Zhang Yining and Guo Yue were made to fight for their places in the penultimate stage. Zhang Yining was extended to seven games by Romania's Mihaela Steff whilst similarly, Guo Yue went the full distance against the defensive skills of Korea's Kim Kyung Ah.

Zhang Yining and Mihaela Steff are no strangers to each other; they had met on ten previous occasions prior to their encounter in Doha and on nine of those meetings Zhang Yining had prevailed.

Meanwhile, for Guo Yue and Kim Kyung Ah it was the second time they had faced each other internationally and it was the second time that Guo Yue had won.

However, for Zhang Yining's semi-final adversary, Niu Jianfeng, the penultimate round was a little less stressful. Playing as consistently as ever she overcame the defensive skills of the Belarus defender, Viktoria Pavlovich, in six games whilst for the reigning World champion, Wang Nan, the penhold grip style of play executed by Hong Kong's Zhang Rui caused her few problems; Wang Nan winning in straight games.

It was the third time that Niu Jianfeng and Viktoria Pavlovich had met internationally and it was the third time that the Chinese player had won; meanwhile for Zhang Rui and Wang Nan it was their first international meeting.

The first semi-final of the Women's Singles is scheduled to start at 10.00am on Friday 25th February 2005. 

(Agencies)