Beijing Time, January 11th, 2025, the last day of the 2025 WTT Doha Star Challenge Table Tennis Tournament is upon us. Today will see the crowning of champions in mixed doubles, women's singles, and men's singles, starting with the semi-finals in women's and men's singles.
Chen Yi faced off against Japan's Miharu Kuwahara in the first match, falling 1-3. Chen Yi played normally in the first game but was at a disadvantage in the subsequent rallies. Kuwahara significantly increased her speed and quality, demonstrating her strong backhand and powerful play when in form.
In the second match, Tomokazu Harimoto swept Aruna 3-0, advancing to the men's singles final with a dominant performance that completely overpowered Aruna.
The third match was the women's singles semi-final between Kuai Man and Miyu Nagasaki. In the previous round, Nagasaki defeated Zhuo Jia He, while Kuai Man also showed good form, improving match by match with more comprehensive techniques. Nagasaki relies heavily on her backhand, but her raw power isn't particularly strong.
The match began with both players closely matched, the score not breaking away, battling to 6-6. Kuai Man executed high-hanging loops, while Nagasaki made consecutive errors with her backhand. However, her forehand attacks were strong, and Kuai Man struggled with serves at 8-8. The game centered around the first three shots, with the score tied at 10-10 before Kuai Man seized the initiative and Nagasaki made an error, resulting in a narrow 12-10 victory for Kuai Man.
In the second set, Kuai Man started well at 3-1, playing aggressively and scoring continuously, especially with quick forehand attacks. Nagasaki tried to counter with speed and movement, overtaking 5-4. There was some excellent mid-range rallying, with Kuai Man scoring off a net cord and leading 9-7 at the end of the set. She continued with powerful forehand strikes, winning the set 11-8 with a straight-line shot.
In the third set, Kuai Man noticeably increased her pace, moving Nagasaki around to take a 4-2 lead. She had complete control of the score, unleashing her forehand and backhand to great effect, clearly dominating the rallies. She extended her lead to 7-2, leaving Nagasaki with few options. Kuai Man ultimately won the set 11-4 in a commanding display, securing her place in the final with a 3-0 victory.
Kuai Man's performance in this match was outstanding, improving as it went on, particularly with her forehand play showing significant progress. In the third set, she unleashed her full potential, showcasing speed, quality, and seamless transitions.
If she can maintain this level of play, Kuai Man's world ranking is sure to rise, giving her a chance to break into the main squad. However, there is still room for improvement, and with her potential and the advantage of her mixed doubles partnership with Shi Dong Lin, she is sure to receive focused training.
Thus, the women's singles final at this event will again be a battle between China and Japan, with Kuai Man facing off against Miharu Kuwahara. The previous three doubles events were also contests between China and Japan, with all four finals except the men's singles being contested between the two nations.