Top seed Ri Myong Sun ensured her place in the women’s singles semi-finals at the ITTF Pyongyang Open after beating Kim Hye Song in an all-North Korean encounter ©Getty Images

Top seed Ri Myong Sun ensured her place in the women’s singles semi-finals at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pyongyang Open after beating Kim Hye Song in an all-North Korean encounter.

Ri won 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 against her fellow home favourite and now faces a last-four meeting with China’s Guo Yuhan, an 11-9, 8-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9 victor against North Korea’s Jong Un Ju.

The other semi-final pits China’s Fan Siqi against second seed Kim Song I of North Korea after they both came through their last-eight ties.

Fan beat compatriot Shi Xunyao 11-8, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4, while Kim overcame China’s Liu Weishan 11-5, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.

Second seed Choe Il failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in the men's singles ©Getty Images
Second seed Choe Il failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in the men's singles ©Getty Images

In the men’s singles draw, second seed Choe Il of North Korea suffered a shock elimination at the hands of China’s Zhao Zhaoyan.

Zhao, the ninth seed, triumphed 11-6, 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9 to set up an encounter with countryman Xu Yingbin, an 11-8, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-14, 11-9 victor at the expense of China’s Yang Shuo.

The winner of that clash will go up against one of two North Koreans in the final with Ro Kwang Jin and Kang Wi Hun contesting the penultimate round’s other match.

Ro defeated China’s Xu Haidong 12-10, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, while Kang saw off the challenge of another Chinese competitor, Cao Wei, by claiming an 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9 victory. 

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place tomorrow.