North Korea's Kim Song I won her women's doubles match today alongside Suh Hyon from the South ©An Sungho

The unified Korean pair of Kim Song I from the North and Suh Hyon from the South, have won their first match in the women’s doubles at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Shinhan Korea Open in Daejeon.

The pair, one of four unified Korean teams at the Seamaster World Tour Platinum event, thrashed Uzbekistan’s Olga Kim and Regina Kim 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 at the Chungmu Sports Arena.

Their achievement matched that of another Korean partnership yesterday, when the North’s Choe Il, alongside the South’s Yoo Eunchong, won their qualification match for the mixed doubles by beating Spain’s Alvaro Bobles and Galia Dvorak in five games, 8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11.

"Although we only practised on the first day of the Korea Open and before this match, we played well together," Hyon said after today’s match.

"Our communication is very good too.

"I told Song-I, ‘Let’s give it our all’ and she did."

Andrea Landrieu from France caused an upset in the men's singles qualifying event today, beating World Tour winner Kazuhiro Yoshimura from Japan ©An Sungho
Andrea Landrieu from France caused an upset in the men's singles qualifying event today, beating World Tour winner Kazuhiro Yoshimura from Japan ©An Sungho

It has not all been good news for the Korean teams however.

In the women’s doubles the North’s pair of Choe Hyon Hwa and Pyon Song Gyon, lost to Singapore’s Lin Ye and Zeng Jian 8-11, 13-11, 13-15, 11-9, 11-9.

Elsewhere in today’s action, Frenchman Andrea Landrieu caused an upset as the qualification round of the men’s singles came to an end.

He beat the ITTF World Tour winner from Hong Kong only six weeks ago, Kazuhiro Yoshimura from Japan.

Their match finished 11-6, 11-5, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 in favour of Landrieu.

Another former ITTF World Tour winner, Germany’s Ricardo Walther, also lost.

He was beaten by South Korea’s An Jaehyun 4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3. 11-8.