The stage is set for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, Qatar. The draw announced Wednesday reveals a lineup of high-stakes showdowns across singles, doubles and mixed events.
Men’s Singles: The Chinese mainland’s top seed Lin Shidong opens against Spain’s Alvaro Robles, while No. 5 seed Liang Jingkun faces Egypt’s Omar Assar. Both stars share a bracket with Brazil’s new world champion Hugo Calderano and France’s No. 6 seed Felix LeBrun. In the opposite half, the Chinese mainland’s No. 2 seed Wang Chuqin meets fierce competition from Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Sweden’s No. 7 seed Truls Moregard.
Women’s Singles: The Chinese mainland’s top seed Sun Yingsha is drawn in the same half as compatriot No. 4 seed Wang Yidi, with Japan’s Mima Ito (No. 8) and Satsuki Odo (No. 7) waiting in the wings. In the other half, second seed Wang Manyu and No. 3 seed Chen Xingtong of the Chinese mainland take on Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata.
Doubles Showdowns: In women’s doubles, the third-seeded duo Qian Tianyi and Chen Xingtong could face Japan’s top seeds Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi in a semifinal thriller. The Chinese mainland’s Wang Manyu pairs with Kuai Man against Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in the opposite half. In men’s doubles, the Chinese mainland’s Liang Jingkun and Huang Youzheng join Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong in the same half, setting up potential all-star clashes.
Mixed Doubles: Lin Shidong teams up with Kuai Man in a half that includes No. 3 seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem from the Hong Kong region. Across the draw, the Chinese mainland’s second seeds Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha await South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, as well as Japan’s Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto.
The ITTF World Championships Finals kick off on May 17 in Doha, promising a week of lightning-fast rallies and global rivalries.
Reference(s):
Draw results announced for World Table Tennis Championships Finals
cgtn.com
