Japan's Fukuhara suffers Round 1 loss at TT Worlds

Paris, May 15 (IANS):

Japan’s Ai Fukuhara was upset 2-4 by little-known Park Seonghye of South Korea in the first round of the World Table Tennis Championships here Wednesday.

The 12th-ranked Fukuhara lost 11-4, 6-11, 9-11, 11-3, 8-11, 6-11 to Park, who is ranked 166th in the world, reports Xinhua.

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

She made too many errors in the sixth game which cost her the chance to advance.

“I know nothing about her because she has never appeared in a major tournament,” Fukuhara said.

But she said that the defeat will not affect her preparation for the doubles match later Wednesday.

“I should adjust myself to the doubles in the evening.”

Fukuhara shocked the table tennis world by reaching the last eight at the 2003 Paris World Championships at the age of 14. But that remains her best singles feat in the World Championships.