World Champions shine at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2025

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May 19, 2025
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19-May-2025

World Champions shine at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships 2025

DOHA -  The main round of the 59th edition of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships “Doha 2025” got underway on Monday, with fierce competition lighting up both the Lusail and Qatar University arenas.

The tournament, which runs until May 25, features 640 players representing 127 countries. The competition includes 256 participants in the men’s and women’s singles events, 256 in the men’s and women’s doubles, and 128 in the mixed doubles, with a total of 443 matches scheduled.

Day 3 saw intense battles in the Round of 64 for men's and women's singles, and the Round of 32 for men's, women's, and mixed doubles, as world champions, Olympic medallists, and top-ranked players fought to keep their title hopes alive.

China’s Wang Chuqin, World No. 2 and a multiple-time world and Olympic gold medallist, cruised into the Round of 32 with a dominant 4–0 win over Brazil’s Leonardo Iizuka (ranked 77). The scores read 11–3, 11–3, 11–5, 11–4, showcasing the Chinese star's class and composure.

In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, Great Britain's Tom Jarvis (World No. 143) stunned Germany’s Dang Qiu (World No. 10) in a thrilling 4–3 contest. Jarvis took the first three games (11–9, 11–9, 11–8), but Qiu responded strongly, winning the next three (11–9, 11–1, 11–6). Jarvis held his nerve to seal the final game 11–8 and book his spot in the Round of 32.

Top seed Sun Yingsha of China delivered a masterclass in her Round of 64 match, sweeping South Korea’s Byun Seong-jin (World No. 67) 4–0. A heavy favorite for the title, Sun boasts a glittering résumé, including gold medals in team and mixed doubles events at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, seven world titles, five World Cups, and three Asian Championships.

Fellow Chinese star Wang Yidi (World No. 4) also progressed comfortably, defeating Amy Wang of the USA (World No. 73) 4–0.

One of the standout Arab performances came from Egypt’s Hana Goda (World No. 19), who reached the Round of 32 with a 4–1 victory over Brazil’s Julia Takahashi (World No. 81). Goda will next face China’s Wang Yidi.

Croatia’s Lea Rakovac advanced with a 4–2 win over Japan’s Miu Hirano, while Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz overcame Sweden’s Filippa Bergand 4–1 to also book her place in the next round.

Top-seeded French duo Félix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun advanced to the Round of 16 with a straightforward 3–0 win over Iran’s Amir Mahdi Keshavarzi and Benyamin Faraj.

Japan’s second-seeded pair, Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami, defeated Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho and Yu Kwan To 3–1. The fourth seeds from Japan, Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima, also progressed with a dominant 3–0 win over Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn.

Top seeds Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi of Japan booked their spot in the Round of 16 with a 3–0 victory over Kazakhstan’s Anal Beket and Angelina Romanovskaya.

They are set for an all-Japanese clash against World No. 7 pair Shin Yubin and Ryu Hanna, who overcame Hungary’s Georgina Póta and Szandra Pergel in straight games.

Second-seeded Chinese duo Wang Manyu and Kuai Man also moved on with a 3–0 win over South Korea’s Cha Soo-young and Park Soo-jung.

One of the tournament’s biggest surprises saw third-seeded Chinese pair Qiu Tianyi and Shan Xingtong eliminated in the Round of 32 by Germany’s Sabine Winter and Yuan Wan, who edged a tense five-game thriller 3–2.

Japan’s fourth-seeded pair Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara eased into the next round with a 3–0 win over France’s Jia Nan Yuan and Prithika Pavade.

China’s top-seeded mixed pair, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, moved into the Round of 16 after defeating France’s Simon Gauzy and Prithika Pavade 3–0.

Second seeds Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha also cruised past Brazil’s Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi with the same scoreline.

The third-seeded Chinese duo Wang Chunting and Du Hua Kim advanced with a 3–0 victory over Algeria’s Milhan Jelouli and Amina Kessassi.

South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yubin also reached the Round of 16, sweeping Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Kibrat Ayoola 3–0.

The tournament continues on Tuesday with fourth-day action featuring more Round of 64 singles clashes and Round of 16 encounters in all doubles events, promising another day of high-intensity table tennis.