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With Liang Jingkun and Shin Yubin finishing the Day 3 morning session with straight set victories (over Nicholas Lum and Elizabeta Samara respectively) , the following is the list of qualifiers to Stage 2 from this morning :-
Men’s singles
- Lin Shidong
- Tomokazu Harimoto
- Liang Jingkun
- Truls Moregardh
- Hiroto Shinozuka
- Kanak Jha
- An Jaehyun
- Benedikt Duda
Women’s singles
- Sun Yingsha
- Jia Nan Yuan
- Satsuki Odo
- Hina Hayata
- Miwa Harimoto
- Cheng I-Ching
- Shin Yubin
- Adriana Diaz
American hope Kanak Jha and German pen-holder Dang Qiu played out a scrappy 2-2 draw in a match where both players struggled to find rhythm.
Qiu, needing a score line of 3-1 or better to qualify, seemed bogged down by the pressure to make a quick start. Down 0-1 and trailing in the second game as well, coach Jorg Rosskopf called a timeout to try and turn things around. The tactic almost worked, but a 10-12 loss in the second game eliminated him from the competition.
“It was a strange match, and I have to admit that I did not have great focus after the second game. I had a feeling that I had qualified but was not sure, and he (Dang Qiu) raised his level too. Not a great finish, but really happy to have qualified. I want to be able to present the best version of myself at the mian draw and go as far as I can”, said Jha.
Benedikt Duda (Germany) survived a tough encounter against upcoming Korean youngster Junsung Oh, managing to get a 2-2 result.
Junsung, fresh off a title winning run at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025, had some starting trouble, but made a strong comeback from 0-2 down to secure a 2-2 draw.
Duda will likely regret missing the chance to secure victory, letting a game point slip away in the third game that could have sealed the match.
The 2-2 result tied Duda and Oh on 6 game wins and 3 losses. But wins with a healthy margin in the first two games helped Duda finish with a better points ratio, allowing him to qualify to Stage 2.
“We both played a high level today. I am glad I got off to a good start, and won the first two games 11-7 and 11-2 , which helped me get through. He (Oh) is a young player who has been on a great run, and is already ranked highly in the world. It was my first meeting as well so not a bad result. I will now focus on the main draw”, said Duda.
Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico) qualified to Stage 2, managing to play a 2-2 (11-5, 4-11, 11-6, 10-12). draw against Annett Kaufmann (Germany).
After a prolonged exchange with the umpire following Kaufmann’s ‘foul’ appeal on her serve in the second game, Diaz displayed impressive mental resilience, maintaining her composure to take a 2-1 lead and secure her spot in Stage 2. Though she missed a chance to clinch victory with a game point in the fourth game, it ultimately had minimal impact on the outcome as a 2-2 draw was more than enough to get through.
Post her match, Diaz said “It was really uncomfortable in the beginning, especially with an issue with my serve. But I did not let it affect me. I think the review (TTR) system is quite fun, and is great for the sport. I love playing in good venues like this, with an appreciative crowd, so am glad to put in this performance and qualify. I don’t usually get the opportunity to train with left handers, and it is great to get through a group which had two high quality left handers”.
Chinese superstars Yingsha Sun and Shidong Lin have qualified to Stage 2, scoring convincing victories against their opponents.
Sun raced off to a 3-0 lead against Tung-Chuan Chien (Chinese Taipei). A lapse in concentration cost her the fourth game, but it proved to be of little significance as the defending champion put up a strong performance. The final scoreline read – 11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 7-11.
Lin held fort against a strong start from Polish teen sensation Milosz Redzimski, recovering well after a first game loss to take the next three in quick fashion. Lin looked in much better rhythm as compared to his opening fixture, and will be hoping to continue in the same fashion in Stage 2. The final scoreline read – 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-1.
Japanese southpaw Hiroto Shinozuka scored an upset over Woojin Jang (Republic of Korea), winning 3-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 15-13).
The match saw both players playing topspin shots from behind the table to great effect and plenty of long rallies. It featured two of the fittest players on tour, and both lived up to their reputations, maneuvering the arena beautifully.
The score line is an accurate reflection of the match, as Shinozuka managed to be better than Jang ever so slightly in clutch moment, and managed to qualify to Stage 2.
Swedish star Truls Moregardh secured his place in Stage 2, with a straightforward victory against Vitor Ishiy (Brazil).
The World No. 7, making his second World Cup appearance, shrugged off a slow start to win 3-1 (12-10, 11-2, 4-11, 11-4).
“It is always tough to play in a format like this, where every game and point counts. Vitor is someone who is very fast, and was playing at a very high quality. I had to be very sharp with my receiving game, and every time I was not, he made me pay. I adjusted my tactics accordingly and it was a good win”, said Moregardh.
Yidi Wang (China) beat Jieni Shao (Portugal) 4-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-3, 11-7) to keep her qualification hopes alive.
World No. 3 Wang, rebounding from an unexpected loss to Frenchwoman Jia Nan Yuan in yesterday’s match, appeared to have shaken off any signs of rust. She delivered a commanding performance, comfortably dispatching Shao and regaining her trademark form. Needing a 4-0 victory to stand a chance of going through, Wang showed remarkable composure.
With both Wang and Yuan finishing the group stages with identical records of 5 wins and 3 losses, the anticipation now shifts to the draw ceremony later this evening, which will determine who advances from this electrifying group.
Tomokazu Harimoto (Japan) navigated a tough opponent and crowd to prevail 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11) against Youzheng Huang (China).
Huang, the reigning World Youth Champion, put up an admirable fight against Harimoto, pushing him to the brink in a valiant display during his World Cup debut. Despite his impressive performance, Huang was unable to capitalize on key moments, letting leads slip away in both the second and third games.
Drawing on his wealth of experience, Harimoto mounted an impressive comeback from 7-10 down in the third game, stringing together five consecutive points to secure a decisive 3-0 lead and confirm his progression to Stage 2.
Harimoto will look to draw confidence from this win, as he looks to mount a challenge for his first major singles trophy.
In the men’s singles action from Day 3 , Jeahyun An (Republic of Korea), produced a strong performance to win 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11) against Omar Assar (Egypt).
With just one place separating both players on the world rankings, this was expected to be a tight match. But An began at full throttle, never allowing Assar to settle in to the match.
An, renowned for his relentless attacking prowess from both wings of the table, showcased peak performance, consistently driving Assar onto the back foot and compelling him into tough defensive scenarios. He was quick to grab his opportunities and booked his place in Stage 2.
Assar, the reigning ITTF African Cup champion, produced an underwhelming performance, clearly not looking to be at his best level. He managed to win the fourth game as a consolation, but it was too late by then.
Day 3 action begins with a quick win for Japanese starlet Miwa Harimoto, who beat Doo Hoi Kem (Hong Kong, China) in four straight games (11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5).
A struggling Kem looked to be suffering from a wrist and forearm injury on her playing hand, visibly causing her distress. It was an unfortunate situation, since Kem would have fancied her chances, having lost in a close 2-3 encounter to Harimoto when they last met.
With this win, Harimoto successfully books her place in Stage 2 (knockout stages) of the tournament.
