Yuling, Qihao claim WTT Star Contender Doha titles

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January 19, 2026
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19-January-2026

Yuling, Qihao claim WTT Star Contender Doha titles

Doha: Year 2026 couldn’t have opened any better for Zhu Yuling, who emerged as back-to-back champion at Lusail Sports Arena after beating Hitomi Sato to the WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 title (5-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5).

Picking up her first WTT Champions success in this very city just last week, Zhu is yet to taste defeat on WTT Series 2026, adding five more wins this week off the back of the five she picked up last week, making that 10 out of 10.

That perfect record very nearly came undone at the semi-final hurdle on Sunday, with Zhu pulling off a Match Point save to deny Satsuki Odo, and the final would prove equally as challenging.

Facing off against the unshakable defensive prowess of Hitomi Sato, the Japanese star hadn’t dropped a single game in the lead up to the final, and she looked to be well on her way to another outstanding victory, sweeping the opening two games of the title match.

But Zhu eventually found the breakthrough she was looking for, hitting back in the third to get the ball rolling. The former World No.1 had cracked the code, and from that point on it was one-way traffic. Patiently waiting for her moment to strike, Zhu began to pick apart her opponent’s defensive stance, chalking up four games on the bounce to deny Sato at the last.

The men’s singles honours ended up going Zhou Qihao’s way, who laid claim to his first WTT Star Contender title, and his first WTT Series success since WTT Contender Lagos 2023.

His opponent in the final, Wen Ruibo, had impressed all week, signalling his intent with a stunning semi-final win over No.2 seed Hugo Calderano.

Despite starting the final brightly, the 19-year-old would ultimately fall short. Zhou Qihao, a player who has been there and done it in finals before, lent on his experience to expertly navigate the occasion, staying grounded in the heat of battle to reach the finish line first (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8).

Earlier in the day, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem finally got their hands on the WTT Series trophy that had eluded them for years, taking home the mixed doubles title in Doha.

One of the sport’s longest running partnerships, combining forces for the first time well over a decade ago, Wong and Doo know everything there is to know about each other’s game, and their vast experience would prove pivotal in deciding Sunday’s title clash.

Weathering an early storm, the Hong Kong, China duo found their mojo in game two and didn’t look back from there, punishing Park Ganghyeon and Kim Nayeong who failed to take advantage at 7-9 up in the third before kicking on to finish the job in four (9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5).