Mixed Doubles
World No. 1 Pair Upset
Day 5 began with a major upset as the No. 1 seeded mixed doubles pair, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo. The Chinese duo won the first game 11-8 but lost the next three 5-11, 11-13, 10-12. Yoshimura, a former mixed doubles silver medallist at the World Championships, played exceptionally well, securing crucial rallies to clinch the match. Odo, partnering Yoshimura for the first time, contributed key service points and displayed remarkable composure, propelling the pair into the semi-finals and securing a medal for Japan.
A visibly emotional Yoshimura said in his post-match interview, “It’s been a long time since I won a medal at the WTTC – the last time was in 2019. There are so many excellent players in Japan, so it’s never easy for me to get a chance. I’ve already turned 30 – I’m, 31 this year. To be paired with Odo and to win a medal is beyond my expectations. So many emotions rushed over me all at once, and I couldn’t help but cry”.
Smooth Progress for No. 3 Seeds
Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong, dominated No. 7 seeds Alvaro Robles and Mario Xiao from Spain, winning in straight games (11-1, 11-5, 11-7) to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Women’s Doubles
German Pair’s Comeback Victory
Sabine Winter and Yuan Wan continued their remarkable run, overcoming a two-game deficit to win their quarterfinal match against Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yun-En and Huang Yi-Hua (8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7). Winter and Wan, who won against No. 3 seeds Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi in the earlier round, are now only win away from securing a medal.
Unseeded Korean Pair Causes Upset
In the round of 16, the No. 5 seeded Chinese Taipei pair of Cheng I-Ching and Li Yu-Jhun fell to the unseeded Korea Republic duo of Kim Nayeong and Lee Eunhye, who prevailed 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Harimoto and Kihara Advance
Japan’s No. 4 seed Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara faced India’s No. 12 seed Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade in a challenging match. The Japanese pair won the first game 11-7, battled through the second 11-8, and overcame an 8-4 deficit in the third to win 11-9. The Japanese stars were exceptionally good against Ghorpade’s ‘long pimple’ backhand rubber, targeting her and maintain their attacking momentum to wrap up a tight fixture in straight games and book their place in the quarterfinals.
Top seeds Odo and Yokoi cruise
Japanese top seeds Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi overcame a sluggish start to dispatch the in-form Croatian pair of Mateja Jeger and Lea Rakovac in straight games. Odo and Yokoi took some time to get into rhythm, winning the first game 12-10. However, they kept improving as the match progressed, winning the second game 11-9. The third game was a landslide, with Yokoi unleashing some spectacular shots as they won 11-0.
Men’s Doubles
Lebrun Brothers Dominate
French No. 1 seeds Alexis and Felix Lebrun delivered a commanding performance to end the dream run of Sweden’s Anton Kallberg and Truls Moregardh. After narrowly losing the first game, the French duo bounced back to win the next three (10-12, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5). A crucial service foul by Moregardh in the third set shifted momentum, allowing the Lebrun brothers to take control. The match featured spectacular rallies, including a stunning trick shot by Alexis that spun back into their court after bouncing near the net, leaving the Swedish pair helpless.
Another Upset in the Round of 16
Japan’s No. 4 seed Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima were eliminated in a tense five-game battle by Spain-Romania’s Alvaro Robles and Ovidiu Ionescu (11-9, 12-14, 11-4, 9-11, 9-11). The European stalwarts, who are long-term doubles partners, brought all their experience to the fore, tactically outclassing the young Japanese pairing despite not possessing the same array of strokes as them.
Women’s Singles
Miwa Harimoto Wins Epic Battle
Japan’s No. 4 seed Miwa Harimoto survived a gruelling seven-set encounter against Kim Kum Yong of the People’s Republic of Korea. Leading 3-1, Harimoto saw her opponent fight back to level the match, but she maintained her composure to secure victory (11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-3) and advance to the round of 16.
Hina Hayata Edges Past Matelova
Japan’s No. 6 seed Hina Hayata also progressed after a hard-fought win against the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova (11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10).
Shin Yubin’s Battle Against Monfardini
Korea’s No. 9 seed Shin Yubin emerged victorious against Italy’s Gaia Monfardini in a fiercely fought five-game match. Yubin secured a crucial fourth game 12-10 but faced significant resistance in the fifth, needing a timeout at 13-12 before clinching victory 16-14. The match, lasting 49 minutes, ended with scores of 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12, 16-14.
Post-match, Yubin emphasized the need for proper recovery, stating, “I want to eat well, sleep well before preparing for my next round.”
Mima Ito Overcomes Bajor’s Challenge
Japan’s No. 8 seed Mima Ito defeated Poland’s Natalia Bajor in a six-game encounter (11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 2-11, 11-9). Bajor fought back from 0-3 down, winning two games before Ito regained momentum to seal her round of 16 spot, where she will meet Chinese Taipei’s No. 10 seed Cheng I-Ching.
Sun Yingsha through to the Round of 16
World No. 1 and defending champion Sun Yingsha (China) continued her imperious form, running through France’s Charlotte Lutz 4-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 11-1). Despite what the score line might suggest, Lutz was competitive throughout the match, putting up a good account of herself. But the difference in level was too much, as Lutz’s best was not enough to push Sun. The Chinese paddler will now face Shin Yubin (Republic of Korea) in the Round of 16.
Men’s Singles
Franziska’s Dramatic Comeback
Germany’s No. 8 seed Patrick Franziska staged an incredible recovery after losing the first three games to Republic of Korea’s Cho Daeseong. Overcoming early setbacks, Franziska dominated the remainder of the match to claim victory in seven sets (7-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3) and advance to the round of 16.
Franziska reflected, “I always believe in my chances, but obviously, I was also not playing my best table tennis until 0-3. Mentally, the sport is tough. And today I’m pretty proud of myself that I could just go through this negativity in the beginning and go for everything. If I can win after going three games down, I can take on whoever comes now”.
His next challenge is Chinese Taipei’s No. 13 seed Lin Yun-Ju, who defeated Austrian veteran Daniel Habesohn in straight games (11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10).
Calderano Survives Scare
ITTF World Cup winner and No. 3 seed Hugo Calderano faced an early scare against Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko. After losing the first two games, the Brazilian fought back with a decisive third-set win (11-5) before narrowly closing out the crucial fourth (12-10). He secured the next two sets to complete his comeback (9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7). Calderano said, “Everyone knows how strong he is, especially in the long rallies. He always brings the balls back to the table so it was very tough from the beginning. He was playing really well and I wasn’t able to find my rhythm, but I always try to find solutions to play better and I think I did that well”.
Lin Shidong’s Dominant Display
Top seed Lin Shidong secured a five-game victory over Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson. Despite dropping the first game 8-11, Lin dominated the second with a stunning 9-0 lead before closing it 11-1. The Chinese star maintained control in the third and fourth games (11-6, 11-5). Karlsson showed resilience in the fifth, leading 8-4, but Lin responded strongly, levelling the score at 9-9, including a fortuitous net chord point, before finishing the match (8-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9). Lin now advances to the round of 16.
Harimoto knocked out
No. 4 seed Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan was knocked out by compatriot Shunsuke Togami 1-4 (7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11). Togami, in a fearsome display of attacking table tennis from both sides of the table, left Harimoto stunned with his power and accuracy. Such was the pressure created by Togami that Harimoto was forced to take a time-out early in the second game, but to no avail. A brief spark of hope showed in third game, which Harimoto won 11-9 despite trailing 7-9, but it was short-lived as Togami quickly regrouped to take the win and book his spot in the Round of 16.
Moregardh survives
No. 7 seed Truls Moregardh (Sweden) dug deep to fend off Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-Jui. Moregardh, trailing 0-1, started mixing the pace up very well, using his chop-blocks and forehand topspin shots to great effect, keeping Kao guessing. Moregardh was also strong in rallies away from the table, winning some spectacular exchanges, allowing him to finish strong and take the win. The final score line read 4-2 (5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 13-15, 11-4, 11-3).
With top class players performing on the big stage, day 6 promises to be exciting and compulsive viewing. Follow all the live action on the WTT YouTube channel and stay updated with results here.
