Korea Republic Pair Adds to Day of Upsets
Wrapping up a thriller of a day in Doha, Korea Republic’s pairing of Kim and Lee provided one final upset by defeating Chinese Taipei’s fifth-seeded Cheng I-Ching and Li Yu-Jhun 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5) in Women’s Doubles. The Korean duo’s victory adds to the day’s narrative of unexpected results that have continued to reshape the tournament landscape.
Gauzy Produces Performance of a Lifetime
In what will surely rank as one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, France’s Simon Gauzy has stunned China’s Lin Gaoyuan 4-2 (2-11, 11-8, 13-11, 6-11, 11-1, 11-3) to advance to the Men’s Singles Round of 16. The Frenchman recovered brilliantly after a slow start, showcasing tremendous mental fortitude and tactical brilliance to overcome one of China’s elite players.
Croatia’s Rakovac Continues Fairytale Run
The remarkable story of Croatia’s Lea Rakovac continues to capture headlines as she claimed yet another major scalp, defeating Korea Republic’s 17th seed Suh Hyo Won 4-2 in a stunning performance. This victory carries special significance for Rakovac, who was defeated by Suh in the first round of her World Championships debut back in 2013. Twelve years later, the Croatian has completed a perfect redemption story, eliminating Suh in what is believed to be the Korea Republic’s defensive specialist’s final World Championships appearance.
Italian Teenager Monfardini Creates History
In another seismic upset, Italy’s young star Gaia Monfardini eliminated Hong Kong, China’s Doo Hoi Kem in a nail-biting seven-game thriller 4-3 (11-9, 11-1, 7-11, 4-11, 11-11, 6-11, 11-7). The Italian teenager showed incredible composure in the deciding game to claim the biggest win of her career and become the first Italian woman to reach the Round of 32 at the World Championships in over a decade.
Quadri Aruna Delivers for Africa
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna lived up to his reputation as Africa’s finest, defeating Germany’s 14th seed Benedikt Duda 4-2 (11-9, 4-11, 12-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9) in their highly anticipated clash. Aruna, who made history in 2021 as the first African player to reach the Men’s Singles quarterfinals at the World Championships, showed why he remains one of the most dangerous players in the draw, combining explosive power with tactical awareness to overcome his European rival.
England’s Tom Jarvis Continues Dream Run
England’s Tom Jarvis, fresh from his stunning victory over 10th seed Dang Qiu yesterday, maintained his impressive form with a commanding 4-0 (11-9, 14-12, 12-10, 11-7) win over Romania’s Iulian Chirita. The Englishman has now reached the Round of 16 without dropping a game in his second match, establishing himself as one of the tournament’s breakthrough performers.
Seeds Advance in Women’s Singles
The Women’s Singles event saw several top seeds progress comfortably, with China’s Chen Xingtong (3) defeating Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku 4-1 (11-1, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 14-11), while her compatriot Shi Xunyao (16) made light work of Korea Republic’s Park Gahyeon 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7).
Romania’s Bernadette Szocs (11) ended the impressive run of Chinese Taipei’s Li Yu-Jhun with a controlled 4-1 (11-9, 7-8, 11-11, 8-11, 11-7) victory, while Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi (13) overcame Turkey’s Sibel Altinkaya 4-1 (11-6, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6).
Doubles Action Heats Up
The Egyptian duo of Youssef Abdelaziz and Mohamed El-Beiali made history by becoming the first African pair since 1951 to reach the quarterfinals of the Men’s Doubles event at an ITTF World Championships. They continued their impressive run by defeating the Greek-Slovak combination of Wang and Angelakis 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-7). The Egyptians, who had already eliminated the Korea Republic 7th seeds in the previous round, look increasingly dangerous as they advance to the quarterfinals.
The morning session also produced significant results in Mixed Doubles, with the Round of 16 completing to determine the quarter-finalists. Top seeds Lin Shidong and Kuai Man of China looked imperious in their 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-6) demolition of Austria’s Robert Gardos and Sofia Polcanova, while fifth seeds Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto of Japan overcame Egypt’s Youssef Abdelaziz and Mariam Alhodaby by the same scoreline (13-11, 11-5, 11-4).
Hong Kong, China’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem (3) eliminated the Brazilian pair of Guilherme Teodoro and Giulia Takahashi 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-2), while Japan’s 16th seeds Hayata Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo caused an upset by defeating Korea Republic’s 8th seeds Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong 3-0 (11-7, 11-10, 11-6).
Title Favourites Progress
World number one Lin Shidong began his Men’s Singles campaign in emphatic fashion, dispatching Hong Kong, China’s Lam Siu Hang 4-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6).
Similarly dominant was world number two Wang Chuqin, who eliminated Wong Chun Ting 4-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7) in a high-quality all-Chinese match.
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the third seed, made light work of Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, winning 4-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4), while China’s fifth seed Liang Jingkun ended the run of Portugal’s Marcos Freitas with a comfortable 4-0 (11-8, 11-2, 11-5, 11-4) victory.
In the Women’s Singles, Japan’s Miwa Harimoto (5) looked in imperious form in her 4-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9) win over Germany’s Yuan Wan, while her compatriot Mima Ito (8) was equally impressive in defeating Argentina’s Rosalba Aguiar by the same scoreline.
As Day 4 concludes, attention now turns to the quarter-finals across all events tomorrow, with several unexpected names still in contention alongside the established stars. The unpredictable nature of this year’s Championships continues to captivate fans worldwide, with more drama surely to come in the days ahead. Follow all the live action on the WTT YouTube channel and stay updated with results here.
