Latest news with #WorldChampionshipsFinals
Qatar Tribune
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
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.
Qatar Tribune
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Yoshimura & Odo shock top seeds Shidong & Kuai Man
Tribune News Network Doha Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo claimed an emotional victory at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, pulling off a stunning upset against No.1 seeds Lin Shidong and Kuai Man to move into the semi-finals of the mixed doubles, on the fifth day of the nine-day worlds. Yoshimura and Odo won 8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 12-10. Bronze medallists two years ago at the World Championships Finals in Durban, Lin and Kuai were hot favourites to bring home the gold in Doha, and the World No.1 duo made a promising start to the match, landing the opening game by a three-point margin. But it was clear things weren't going to be straightforward for the Chinese superstars as Yoshimura and Odo returned to the table with even greater determination, and it wasn't long before the scores were level once again. Suddenly, the feeling inside Lusail Sports Arena completely changed as Lin and Kuai began to realise they had a fight on their hands. Down 10-7 in the third, the top seeds chalked up four points on the bounce to hold a crucial game point opportunity, but fate would swing the other way as Yoshimura and Odo took an unlikely lead for the first time. Producing a championship calibre performance on the grandest of stages, Yoshimura and Odo were inching ever closer to etching their names in World Championships Finals history, and could see the finish line, opening up a commanding 8-3 lead in the fourth. There were some late nerves for the Japanese partnership, seeing their opponents claw their way back to 8-8. Lin and Kuai would then save match points at 10-8 and 10-9 to draw level, heaping the pressure on Yoshimura and Odo. With the tie in the balance, it was now or never for the Japanese underdogs, and they would embrace the moment, straining every sinew to close out a historic victory. An overwhelmed Yoshimura said, 'It's been a long time since I last won a medal at the WTTC - the last time was in 2019. To be paired with Odo and win a medal really exceeded my expectations. So many emotions rushed over me all at once, and I couldn't help but cry. I'm truly happy.' The surprises continued in the men's doubles as Romania's Ovidiu Ionescu and Spain's Alvaro Robles stunned Japan's fourth-seeded pairing of Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima 3-2 (9-11, 14-12, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9). In the women's doubles, Germany's Sabine Winter and Yuan Wan added to the day's dramatic moments by eliminating Chinese Taipei's Tsai and Huang 3-2 (8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7). Meanwhile in the men's singles, Germany's Patrick Franziska produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the tournament, overturning a 0-3 deficit to defeat Korea Republic's Cho Daeseong 4-3 (7-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3) in a breathtaking encounter. In the women's singles, Japan's eighth seed Mima Ito overcame a spirited challenge from Poland's Natalia Bajor to win 4-2 (11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 1-11, 2-11, 11-9), while her compatriot Hina Hayata had to work hard to defeat Czech Republic's Hana Matelova 4-2 (7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-10). Italy's teen Gaia Monfardini saw her remarkable run come to an end against South Korea's s ninth seed Shin Yubin, who prevailed 4-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-14, 11-6). Despite the defeat, Monfardini's breakthrough performance in Doha, which included a stunning upset of Hong Kong, China's 28th seed Doo Hoi Kem, marks her as a rising star to watch.
