Richmond’s reward for her 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 victory is a semi-final clash with Tan's compatriot, top seed Jian Fang Lay, who beat Tahiti’s Rachel Hsiao 11-1, 11-1, 11-6, 11-3.

The other semi-final sees another Australian Melissa Tapper, the number three seed who overcame New Caledonia’s Ornella Bouteille 11-5, 11-3, 11-3, 11-4, go up against New Zealand’s number two seed Li Chunli, an 11-1, 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 winner against Fiji’s Sally Yee.

Tapper, winner of the 6 to 10 title at yesterday's Oceania Para-Table Tennis Championships, was given direct entry to the quarter-finals after topping a round robin qualifying group. 

Meanwhile in the Pacific Cup, top seed Richmond booked her place in the final after beating Fiji’s Alisi Ulacola and Grace Rosi Yee in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

Awaiting her in the final is Bouteille, who accounted for Samoa’s Maggie Aiono 11-0, 11-1, 11-1, 11-1 in the last eight, before recording an 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 3-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-6 semi-final win over Tahiti’s Rachel Hsiao.

Vanuatu’s Yoshua Shing meets New Caledonia’s Laurent Sens in the equivalent men’s final after both navigated their way through the earlier rounds.

Shing overcame New Caledonia’s Avelino Monteiro 11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3, before seeing off Tahiiti’s Tinihao Klouman 11-7, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6 at the penultimate stage.

As for Sens, he ended the aspirations of the Cook Island’s Tauti Uea and Gregoire Dossier, beating the former 11-4, 11-1, 11-1, 11-4 in the quarter-finals, and the latter 11-7, 13-11, 11-3, 13-11 in the semi-finals.

The top four seeds all booked semi-final places in the Oceania Cup men’s singles with New Zealand’s Phillip Xiao, the number three seed, the player to experience the closest examination in an 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6 win against Shing.

There was no such trouble for Australia’s William Henzell, the top seed, who beat Tahiti’s Tinihau Klouman 11-3, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5.

Compatriot David Powell, the second seed, accounted for Dossier 11-4, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, while another fellow countryman Kane Townsend, the number four seed, ended the hopes of Sens 11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8.

The semi-finals see Henzell meet Townsend and Xiao go up against Powell as the action in the Australian city concludes tomorrow.

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