Fukuhara suffers first-round exit in Paris tournament

Japan's Fukuhara Ai (R) reacts after losing to Park Seong-hye of South Korea in their women's singles opening round at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Paris, May 15, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - Japan's Fukuhara Ai was upset 4-2 by little-known Park Seong-hye of South Korea in the first round of the World Table Tennis Championships here on Wednesday.

The 12th-ranked Fukuhara, who has long been Japan's darling of the sport, lost 4-11, 11-6, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6 to Park, who was ranked 166th in the world.

"I was too nervous and failed to play my best," the 24-year-old said in Chinese. "I don't think there's anything wrong. I did not control the rhythm well."

She made too many errors in the sixth game and she said that cost her the chance to advance.