On January 30, the 2022 Japan Table Tennis Championships entered the final day of competition. The tournament remains the men's and women's singles semi-finals and the men's and women's singles finals.
If you follow the usual routine, there are still six games left. However, there is new news that Miyu Kihara, who was originally playing a semi-final with Mimako Ito, had a high fever of 38 degrees and withdrew from the competition. Ito automatically reached the women's singles final.
This is the third player to withdraw from the tournament for any reason at the Japan National Championships. Previously, Miyu Hirano and Yuya Oshima withdrew from the competition due to the coronavirus infection. I don't know if Miyu Kihara is the same reason.
The other semi-final was played by Miyu Kato against Hina Hayata. The match was over and Hina Hayata narrowly defeated Miyu Kato 4-3, with seven innings 7:11, 11:7, 6:11, 13:15, 11:9, 18:16, 11:7. Watching the game, you know that the two have experienced a vicious battle. Scores were close in each inning, with two sets scoring high scores. Such a game is naturally very physically exhausting.
After defeating Miyu Kato, Hina Hayata and Mimachi Ito played in the women's singles final. Hina Hayata played two matches on the same day, and Ito Mimachi advanced directly to the final because of Miyu Kihara's retirement. Ito greeted Hina Hayata, who had just fought a fierce battle, with a relaxed waiting, and had a great advantage in physical strength.
Ito was already highly skilled and physically superior, and soon defeated Hina Hayata 4-1 to win the women's singles title.
In the first set, Ito Mimachi restrained Hina Hayata with speed, scoring more points in the first three boards, winning the first set 11:5. In the second set, Hina Hayata took the initiative and took the lead, but still lost to Mimako Ito 8:11. In the third set, Ito continued to win with speed, winning the set 11-5 to give a 3-0 lead over Hina Hayata.
In the fourth set, Hina Hayata finally improved, taking back the set 11:8. However, Ito, who had a slight advantage in strength and physical strength, won the fifth set 11:6.
In the end, Ito defeated Hina Hayata 4-1 to win the women's singles title at the 2022 Japan National Championships.
In the women's singles final of the All Japan Championships in January 2021, Ito lost 3-4 to Yoshijun Ishikawa. Yoshijun Ishikawa won the Women's Singles Championships of Japan for the fifth time.
In the women's singles final of the All Japan Championships in January 2020, 19-year-old Hina Hayata won the women's singles title with a 4-1 victory over Yoshijun Ishikawa.
In the past, Ito has also won the women's singles championship of the Japan National Championships twice, and counting the 2022 championship, Ito has won the Women's Singles Championship of the Japan National Championships three times.
In addition to winning the women's singles title, Ito also won the women's doubles title with Hina Hayata. Ito won two championships and defended the status of the first sister of Japanese women's table tennis. Hina Hayata won the mixed doubles title with Zhang Benzhihe. Hina Hayata is also good, winning 2 championships and 1 runner-up at this year's Japan National Championships.
Born in November 2000, Ito is only 21 years old. Born in July 2000, Hayata was only four months older than Mimachi Ito. Hina Hayata has grown rapidly in the past two years and is fully equipped to fight against Ito. Hina Hayata and Mimako Ito will be the top two players in the Japanese women's table tennis volleyball team.