Jarvis's fairytale run ends, Togami stages a miraculous escape
Tribune News Network
Doha
England's Tom Jarvis saw his remarkable journey at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships - Doha 2025 come to an end with his spirited charge being halted by China's fifth seed Liang Jingkun 4-2 (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-2, 11-6) on Thursday.
One of the surprise stars of the tournament with notable wins over Slovakia's Benedek Olah, Germany's 10th seed Dang Qiu and Romania's Iulian Chirita, Jarvis made the perfect start to the round of 16, striking an unlikely lead against the Chinese superstar.
Keeping pace with Liang in the fast exchanges, Jarvis looked pumped, believing he had all the tools to conjure another magical upset in Doha. Razor-thin margins separated the two players for most of the match, with Jarvis playing his heart out on Table 1. But his dream would finally end as Liang entered another gear, charging full speed ahead to crush his young opponent's hopes.
While his World Championships Finals campaign is now over, Jarvis leaves Doha with his head held high, returning home a hero following an unforgettable week from the 25-year-old from Skegness.
Meanwhile, Japan's Shunsuke Togami pulled off an astonishing comeback in his clash with Slovenia's Darko Jorgic, defying the odds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Saving match point at 9-10 in the sixth game, Togami would then recover a 6-9 deficit in the decider before going on to save another match point at 9-10 in that final game.
Frustrating Jorgic with his refusal to back down, the Japanese ace had saved his tournament not once but twice. Taking full advantage, Togami pressed home the attack to complete a dramatic 4-3 victory (9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 1-11, 12-10, 12-10).
The upsets continued in Men's Doubles as the event lost its third seeds. Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-Ju and Kao Cheng-Jui were responsible for the surprise, outclassing China's Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan in four pulsating games (11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8).
Making it all the way to the Singapore Smash 2025 final on their debut as a pair, Lin and Kao have looked extremely impressive all week in Doha, and produced another sublime performance in the quarterfinals. Hitting hard and fast, the Chinese Taipei pair led from start to finish in the opener and were just as imperious in the second game, piling the pressure on their higher-seeded opponents.
Unsettling their Chinese opponents with their relentless approach, the third seeds managed to respond in the third game, but Lin and Kao were in a league of their own. Everything they touched turned to gold, and in the end, it was the Chinese Taipei pair who emerged as deserved winners.
Earlier in the Mixed Doubles, two-time defending World Champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha were put through their paces, facing an early setback in their encounter with Japan's Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto.
But the Chinese pair would eventually find their groove, holding the edge in games two, three and four to brush off any suggestion of an upset (6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9). Despite the early stumble, the defending champions showed their championship mettle to advance to the semi-finals.
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