Chen Shocks Harimoto, Shi Wins All-Chinese Final at WTT Contender Muscat
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Synopsis
Chinese teenager Chen Yuanyu outperformed World No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto to win the men's singles title, while Shi Xunyao dominated Kuai Man in the women's final at the WTT Contender Muscat.
Key Takeaways
- Chen Yuanyu defeated Tomokazu Harimoto 4-2 in the men's singles final.
- Shi Xunyao triumphed over Kuai Man in the women's singles final.
- Japanese players won all doubles titles at the event.
- The next WTT Series event is the Singapore Smash.
- China previously secured all five titles at the WTT Contender Muscat in November.
Muscat, Jan 17 (NationPress) The young Chinese star Chen Yuanyu delivered a stunning performance by defeating Japan's World No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto with a score of 4-2 to seize the men's singles championship. Meanwhile, Shi Xunyao triumphed in an all-Chinese showdown against Kuai Man, winning in straight games at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender Muscat on Friday.
Despite being ranked 51 places lower than Harimoto, Chen started the match by losing the first game 8-11. However, he bounced back to win the next two games 11-7 each and took control of the match.
Even though Harimoto, the top seed, equalized the match by winning the fourth game 11-3, the 19-year-old Chinese player showcased his resilience, claiming victory in the final two games with scores of 11-4 and 12-10, marking a significant milestone in his career, according to reports from Xinhua.
In the women's singles final, Shi faced Kuai, the previous week's titleholder in the WTT Star Contender Doha. Shi dominated the match, securing a decisive victory with scores of 11-6, 11-9, 11-8, and 11-4.
On the same day, Japanese players excelled in the doubles competitions, with Harimoto and Sora Matsushima winning the men's doubles title, while Satsuki Odo and Sakura Yokoi were crowned champions in the women's doubles. In the mixed doubles final held on Thursday, second seeds Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao from Spain overcame Chinese qualifiers Huang Youzheng and Shi Xunyao 3-1.
The upcoming WTT Series event, the Singapore Smash, is scheduled to take place from January 30 to February 9.
In a previous event held in November, China dominated the WTT Contender Muscat by winning all five titles. During the mixed doubles final, Lin Shidong and Kuai Man partnered to secure the mixed doubles championship, followed by their respective singles victories against fellow Chinese competitors.
In the men's singles, Lin faced a challenging semifinal against Japan's Yukiya Uda, ultimately winning to reach the finals against Wen Ruibo. After exchanging wins in the initial games, Lin elevated his performance to take the next three games, finishing with a 4-1 victory.
On the women's side, Kuai maintained her momentum from a semifinal win over Japan's top seed Satsuki Odo, who was the WTT Champions Montpellier winner. Kuai established a 3-1 lead against Qian Tianyi in the final, and although Qian managed to win one game, Kuai held her ground to win the match 11-9 in the sixth game.
