Star Match: Japanese Men's Singles Suffer a Crushing 0-3 Defeat, European Veteran Advances to the Finals, Tomokazu Harimoto in Explosive Form
On January 11th, Beijing time, the 2025 WTT Doha Star Match continues. Today marks the final day of the event, with three champions being crowned. Prior to this, the women's doubles and men's doubles champions have already been determined, with China and Japan each securing one title.
In the semi-finals, two women's singles matches were contested between China and Japan. Chen Yi won the first set but was subsequently reversed by Miu Kihara, who won three consecutive sets. During the rallies, Chen Yi did not perform as well as the previous day. On the other hand, Kuai Man dominated with a 3-0 sweep over Miyuu Nagasaki, improving her performance with each set, culminating in an explosive third set where her advantage was evident.
After the match, Kuai Man stated that she quickly mobilized herself and had made extensive preparations before the game. Her mentality during the match was good, and her overall performance was satisfactory. She remained focused throughout the match, and as her momentum increased, her opponent's decreased. She aims to display the spirit of young athletes in the finals.
In the concluded men's singles semi-final, Tomokazu Harimoto easily defeated Aruna in three sets, achieving a crushing victory. Today, Aruna was largely restricted, performing well in the latter half of the first set but becoming increasingly passive in the following two sets. As he fell behind in points, his mentality became anxious, leading to more errors.
The last semi-final featured Daiki Yoshizuka from Japan against Danish veteran Grøte. Throughout the tournament, Grøte has consistently demonstrated stable and outstanding play, while Yoshizuka also showcased exceptional performance, reaching the semi-finals and proving his abilities with remarkable speed, albeit with relatively less power and lower quality in individual shots.
The initial stages of the match were fiercely contested, with the score tied at 3-3. Yoshizuka quickly adapted and played with good feel, gaining a 7-5 lead with his speed. However, Grøte scored consecutive points from his serves, struggling with receiving, as both players were not fully adapted to each other's serves. The score was tied at 8-8, with Yoshizuka missing a set point opportunity. Despite having the upper hand, Grøte narrowly won 12-10.
In the second set, Yoshizuka started with a 0-4 deficit, somewhat affected by the first set, resulting in a drop in morale and numerous errors, losing points rapidly. Grøte played steadily, leading 8-1. Yoshizuka attempted to catch up, but Grøte ultimately won 11-6.
In the third set, Yoshizuka took the initiative in the first three rallies, significantly improving the quality and speed of his shots, starting with a 3-3 tie. However, during the rallies, Grøte held the advantage, calmly countering. The outcome was largely due to Yoshizuka's errors, falling behind 3-8. He managed to close the gap to 7-9 but encountered difficulties in receiving serves, eventually losing 8-11. With a 0-3 defeat, he was eliminated from the finals.
The turning point of the match occurred at the end of the first set, where Yoshizuka missed an opportunity and a set point chance, directly impacting his subsequent performance. His morale visibly dropped, and the second set began with a lackluster atmosphere, making it too late to recover.
As a result, the men's singles final will be contested between Grøte and Tomokazu Harimoto. Japan has advanced to the finals in all five events, facing Chinese opponents in four events and a European player in the men's singles.