Top seed Tomokazu Harimoto set-up a mouthwatering semi-finals against Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Event, in which the Japanese will seek his revenge.
World number five Harimoto had lost in the semis to No. 12 Ovtcharov in last week’s Contender tournament, which the German went on to win. Now Harimoto will have his chance to avenge that loss.
On Thursday at the Lusail Sports Arena, the 17-year-old Harimoto sailed past South Korea’s Jeoung Youngsik 11-7, 11-8, 11-8. Harimoto has not lost a game this week and against world no 13 Youngsik, the Japanese teen sensation displayed his imperious form.
The 29-year-old Jeoung, who won the silver and bronze medals at the 2010 Asian Games, relied on his experience to stay in the each of three games but failed to take decisive lead.
Ovtcharov, meanwhile, had to work hard for his victory against 58th ranked Anton Kallberg of Sweden. The sixth seed, in fact, lost the first two games before bouncing back to take the next three 8-11, 10-12, 15-13, 12-10, 11-9.
Meanwhile, last week’s finalist Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei was stunned by Ruwen Filus of Germany in the quarters. Filus, who outgunned Japanese no.11 seed Jun Mizutani in the last 16, continued his giant killing act in the tournament by taking out no.3 seeded Lin 11-3, 13-11, 11-9.
In the semis, Filus will take on Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, who edged past Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson in a thriller 7-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8, 17-15. On Friday, Jorgic had saved two match points as he overturned a two game deficit to knock out second seed Hugo Calderano of Brazil. Jorgic once again never gave up against Karlsson, who had scored upset win over French no.12 seed Simon Gauzy in the last 16.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s world no 2 Mima Ito beat Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz to book her place in the finals. Top seed Ito, champion at the WTT Contender at the same venue last week, recorded a 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 win over 18th ranked Diaz.
Ito next faces South Korea’s Jihee Jeon, who ended the dream run of compatriot Shin Yubin. The 15th ranked Jeon won 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 against Yubin, who is ranked 94 in the world.
Singapore's world No. 12 Feng Tianwei also sealed her place in the semis, taking out last week’s finalist Hina Hayata. The 34-year-old Tianwei had to use all her experience to win against Japanese world No. 26 Hayata 12-10, 12-14, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6.
Hayata, who is one of the sport's in-form players, finished runner-up at last week's WTT Contender Doha after losing 4-2 to compatriot Ito. Hayata and Ito, also 20, are among Japan's promising crop of young players who have made their mark on the global stage.
After capturing the first game, Feng, a three-time Olympic medallist, endured a tough second game against Hayata, where she eventually lost despite saving two game points. Feng and Hayata took a game each after that, before the former booked her place in today's semi-final of the US$400,000 event.
Tianwei will come up against Romania's world No. 34 Elizabeta Samara, who also needed a five-game thriller to overcome South Korean Kim Ha-yeong 15-13, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 14-12.
Tianwei’s win yesterday saw her secure her first semi-final appearance on tour since the 2019 ITTF Women's World Cup in Chengdu, China, where she won a bronze medal after beating American Lily Zhang in the third-place play-off.
Feng revealed she is now playing her best table tennis since that October 2019 tournament, after suffering three straight opening losses. "I'm more patient. Previously my mentality wasn't too good, I was overly anxious to produce results quickly in matches, which didn't work out too well," she said. "Now I'm gradually getting that competition feeling, thinking of ways to transfer what I do in training during matches."
World number five Harimoto had lost in the semis to No. 12 Ovtcharov in last week’s Contender tournament, which the German went on to win. Now Harimoto will have his chance to avenge that loss.
On Thursday at the Lusail Sports Arena, the 17-year-old Harimoto sailed past South Korea’s Jeoung Youngsik 11-7, 11-8, 11-8. Harimoto has not lost a game this week and against world no 13 Youngsik, the Japanese teen sensation displayed his imperious form.
The 29-year-old Jeoung, who won the silver and bronze medals at the 2010 Asian Games, relied on his experience to stay in the each of three games but failed to take decisive lead.
Ovtcharov, meanwhile, had to work hard for his victory against 58th ranked Anton Kallberg of Sweden. The sixth seed, in fact, lost the first two games before bouncing back to take the next three 8-11, 10-12, 15-13, 12-10, 11-9.
Meanwhile, last week’s finalist Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei was stunned by Ruwen Filus of Germany in the quarters. Filus, who outgunned Japanese no.11 seed Jun Mizutani in the last 16, continued his giant killing act in the tournament by taking out no.3 seeded Lin 11-3, 13-11, 11-9.
In the semis, Filus will take on Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, who edged past Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson in a thriller 7-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8, 17-15. On Friday, Jorgic had saved two match points as he overturned a two game deficit to knock out second seed Hugo Calderano of Brazil. Jorgic once again never gave up against Karlsson, who had scored upset win over French no.12 seed Simon Gauzy in the last 16.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s world no 2 Mima Ito beat Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz to book her place in the finals. Top seed Ito, champion at the WTT Contender at the same venue last week, recorded a 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 win over 18th ranked Diaz.
Ito next faces South Korea’s Jihee Jeon, who ended the dream run of compatriot Shin Yubin. The 15th ranked Jeon won 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 against Yubin, who is ranked 94 in the world.
Singapore's world No. 12 Feng Tianwei also sealed her place in the semis, taking out last week’s finalist Hina Hayata. The 34-year-old Tianwei had to use all her experience to win against Japanese world No. 26 Hayata 12-10, 12-14, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6.
Hayata, who is one of the sport's in-form players, finished runner-up at last week's WTT Contender Doha after losing 4-2 to compatriot Ito. Hayata and Ito, also 20, are among Japan's promising crop of young players who have made their mark on the global stage.
After capturing the first game, Feng, a three-time Olympic medallist, endured a tough second game against Hayata, where she eventually lost despite saving two game points. Feng and Hayata took a game each after that, before the former booked her place in today's semi-final of the US$400,000 event.
Tianwei will come up against Romania's world No. 34 Elizabeta Samara, who also needed a five-game thriller to overcome South Korean Kim Ha-yeong 15-13, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 14-12.
Tianwei’s win yesterday saw her secure her first semi-final appearance on tour since the 2019 ITTF Women's World Cup in Chengdu, China, where she won a bronze medal after beating American Lily Zhang in the third-place play-off.
Feng revealed she is now playing her best table tennis since that October 2019 tournament, after suffering three straight opening losses. "I'm more patient. Previously my mentality wasn't too good, I was overly anxious to produce results quickly in matches, which didn't work out too well," she said. "Now I'm gradually getting that competition feeling, thinking of ways to transfer what I do in training during matches."