WTT Star Contender Chennai Poised for Record-Breaking Entry with 13 Indian Players
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Synopsis
Chennai's WTT Star Contender 2025 will feature a historic 13 direct entries from Indian table tennis players, showcasing their impressive rankings. With elite global competitors like Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, the tournament promises thrilling matches starting March 25.
Key Takeaways
- 13 Indian players qualified for the tournament.
- Record representation in all WTT Star Contender events in India.
- Prize pool of USD 275,000.
- Men’s and women’s singles main draw will have 48 players.
- Exciting doubles pairings featuring top Indian talents.
Chennai, March 6 (NationPress) Continuing the momentum of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Indian table tennis is on the rise with 13 entries achieving direct qualification for WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 due to their rankings - marking a record-breaking Indian representation in all three WTT Star Contender events conducted in India. With a strong international lineup spearheaded by Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto (World No. 4) and Hina Hayata (World No. 5), the stage is perfectly set for an exciting tournament kickoff on March 25.
The main draw for the WTT Star Contender Chennai will showcase 48 players for both men’s and women’s singles, while the doubles main draw will adopt a 16-pair format. The tournament boasts a prize pool of USD 275,000 and will award 600 points to the champions.
The women's singles main draw will display India's best-ever representation across all editions of the WTT Star Contender, featuring Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, and Yashaswini Ghorpade, forming a formidable quartet. Additionally, for the first time, four players have qualified directly for the men’s singles main draw in an Indian Star Contender, led by the legendary Sharath Kamal, together with Manav Thakkar, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, and Harmeet Desai, all pivotal members of India's medal-winning Asiad and Asian Championships teams.
Japan's Harimoto, the newly crowned WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 champion, will pose significant challenges alongside Brazil’s Hugo Calderano (WR 6), a semifinalist at the Paris Olympics. With a roster of global stars, they will inject formidable talent into the men’s competition.
In the women’s singles, Hayata (WR 5) and Miwa Harimoto (WR 6) are two of the four top 10 players participating, ensuring a highly competitive women’s bracket.
In the doubles draw, Indian fans will be thrilled to see Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah enter as the highest-ranked men’s doubles pair thus far, continuing a successful partnership. The 2022 Asian Games bronze medalists Ayhika and Sutirtha Mukherjee will team up for the women’s doubles, while Yashaswini Ghorpade will join forces with Diya Chitale.
The mixed doubles draw will feature Shah partnering with Chitale, while Desai teams up with Ghorpade, adding depth to India’s challenge.
Kamlesh Mehta, secretary of TTFI, commented, “Indian table tennis has advanced significantly, and witnessing more of our players gain entry into the main draw based on merit is a reflection of that progress. Just a few years back, such representation at this level was uncommon, but now we are competing on par with the finest table tennis programs globally. Events like WTT Star Contender have consistently fostered that growth, and Chennai will uphold that trend, motivating our players to reach new heights.”
Wild cards and qualifiers are anticipated to further bolster an already strong Indian contingent. The singles main draw will include 25 direct entries based on ITTF rankings, along with four host wildcards, two WTT nominations, one WTT youth nomination, eight top-20 players, and eight qualifiers, ensuring a highly competitive field.
Meanwhile, the doubles main draw (men’s, women’s, and mixed) will feature eight direct entries, two onsite-formed pairs, two host wildcards, and four qualifiers.
