Qatar's Abdulwahab makes history with round of 64 berth
Tribune News Network
Doha
In a landmark moment for Qatari table tennis, Mohamed Abdulwahab has made history by advancing to the round of 64 at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Doha 2025, which got underway today at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall and Qatar University Sports Complex on Satuday.
Facing New Zealand's World 104th Alfred Della Pena in the round of 128, Abdulwahab delivered a commanding performance, winning 4-0 (11-5, 11-2, 15-13, 11-1) to become the first-ever Qatari player to reach the main draw of the men's singles event at a World Championship.
Speaking after the match, Abdulwahab expressed his pride at achieving what he called a 'historic and unprecedented' result.
'I am proud of this result, especially knowing that even some of the world's best players were knocked out in the first round,' he said. 'Qualifying for the next stage is a huge honour for me — my happiness is indescribable.'
Abdulwahab, who was also chosen to take the players' oath during the opening ceremony, said the honour marked the beginning of a truly unforgettable tournament experience. 'Being selected to take the oath on behalf of all participating players was already a moment of great pride for me,' he said.
'This result builds on that, and I hope to continue performing at my best in the upcoming rounds.'
Tenth seed Dang Qiu survives
Meanwhile, It's was a frantic start to the World Championships in the morning session, with tenth seed Dang Qiu requiring late inspiration to fend off a dangerous challenge from Filip Zeljko (11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-8).
Qiu, who reached the last 16 two years back at 2023 Worlds, was looking for four wins in a row against his Croatian counterpart, but Zeljko was out to make a statement, pushing his former youth rival all the way. Three times Zeljko trailed, and he responded to each setback with a positive mentality, going for his shots in the pressure moments to keep Qiu on his toes.
Six games weren't enough to find a winner as Zeljko refused to go down without a fight, holding a 6-7 lead in the decider. With time running out, Qiu needed to find something late on, and he'd eventually weather the storm, digging deep in the closing stages of the match to squeeze into the second round.
Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Qiu now turns his attention to the round of 64 where Tom Jarvis awaits.
Jarvis banked his spot beyond the opening hurdle thanks to a 4-1 win over Benedek Olah, keeping his composure after a third game setback to ignite his in Doha (11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5).
'He's a very tricky player, he's got a lot of quality and if you're not careful you can make it really difficult for yourself. I lost a close match to him at the end of last year, so I went back and reviewed that and had lots of conversations with the coach, made a gameplan and did a lot of good preparation. Luckily, I was able to execute today.' Jarvis said.
Meanwhile, Giulia Takahashi has made an impactful start on her singles debut at Worlds, sending a message of intent to the rest of the playing field with a ruthless 4-0 victory over Hope Udoaka (11-3, 11-1, 11-6, 11-8).
Competing at the ITTF World Youth Championships on multiple occasions, this was the first time Giulia had stepped up on the senior stage, and she couldn't have asked for a more perfect debut. Controlling the pace from start to finish, Takahashi enjoyed her time at the table, playing with an air of freedom as she embraced the spotlight on one of the sport's most historic stages.
Despite her best efforts, Udoaka couldn't live with Takahashi's aggression, and after four games the W firmly belonged to the Brazilian ace. 'It was my first match so I was a little bit nervous, and my first tactic was to be calm. My coach was always there shouting to me, 'be calm, come on Giulia.' He was supporting me and I think this was the most important for me.' Giulia Takahashi
Over on Table 1, Sun Yingsha kickstarted her title defence with a complete performance, brushing aside Veronika Matiunina in dominant fashion (11-5, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7).
The 2023 champ was facing a somewhat unknown quantity in Matiunina, taking on the rising star for the first time. But there was no huge shock to write home about as ShaSha delivered a professional display, sticking the landing in four games to move on through to the last 64.
'It's my first match in the Championships and my performance was within my normal range. I wasn't quite familiar with my opponent – I got to know who I was up against two or three days after my arrival. The most important thing that I need to do is to focus, upon which I have done a great job. I hope to be in my best form as the tournament progresses.' Sun Yingsha
Japan's seventh seed Satsuki Odo began her championship with a confident 4-0 victory (11-5, 11-10, 11-8, 11-5) against Paulina Vega.
South Korea's Shin Yubin delivered a decisive 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3) result against Lisa Gear, while Li Yu-Jhun defeated Daniela Fonseca 4-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5). In a more competitive encounter, Andreea Dragoman overcame Jinnipa Sawettabut 4-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7), to kickstart her campaign.
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