The grand finale of the WTT Doha Star Challenge in 2025 has concluded, with four champions already crowned. Team China emerged victorious in the women's singles and men's doubles, while Japan secured titles in the women's doubles and mixed doubles.
In the women's doubles final, Daiki Oshima/Sakura Yokoi defeated Zhuo Jia He/Zong Ge Man 3-0 (11-2, 12-10, 11-9). The men's doubles final saw Xiang Peng/Xu Yingbin edge out Tomokazu Harimoto/Kakeru Matsumoto 3-2 (15-13, 4-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6). The mixed doubles final was a close match, with Kakeru Matsumoto/Miharu Tomokazu overcoming Huang Youzheng/Shi Xunyao 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7). In the women's singles final, Kuai Man dominated Miu Kihara 4-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-8, 11-3).
The last event to be decided was the men's singles final, where Tomokazu Harimoto faced off against Danish star Groth. This time, Team China did not send their main players, with Xiang Peng and Huang Youzheng achieving the best result of reaching the round of 16. Groth played well, maintaining a good rhythm and balance on both sides. He reached his first-ever Star Challenge final after defeating Japanese rising star Daiki Oshima in the semifinals. Harimoto was in top form, advancing strongly throughout the tournament and sweeping Aruna in the semifinals.
The match started with a tight 3-3 scoreline, with both players focusing on the first three shots and rarely going beyond that. Midway through the game, Groth led 6-4 but suffered from receiving errors and mistakes, allowing Harimoto to catch up at 6-6. The score remained close until the end, when Harimoto took control and won 11-9.
The second set began with another intense battle at 3-3, with the score continuing to fluctuate. At 6-6, Harimoto maintained a strong offensive presence, while Groth had an advantage in the serve rotation, successfully varying his shots and displaying speed. However, he missed several opportunities and was eventually reversed at 10-7, losing the set 13-11. It was a pity for Groth, who lost several key points in a row.
The third set continued with a close scoreline, with Harimoto having the upper hand in forehand and backhand speed. Groth dropped another opportunity point, falling behind 4-6. He then scored four consecutive points to lead 8-6, connecting quickly. However, Harimoto regained his form at the end of the set, winning 11-9.
In the fourth set, Harimoto started with a mistake, trailing 0-3. Groth also made consecutive errors, allowing Harimoto to overtake at 4-3. The match intensified to 6-6, but Groth continued to make mistakes, showing signs of collapse. His mentality and rhythm were disrupted, and he served directly out of bounds, losing the game 6-11. Thus, Harimoto swept Groth 4-0, securing the men's singles title and adding a silver medal in the men's doubles to his achievements in the new year's first competition.
The five championship titles were shared between China and Japan, with Japan emerging as the big winner, securing three gold medals. Team China took home two golds and two silvers. Japan's male singles performed exceptionally well, with not only Harimoto in great form but also Kakeru Matsumoto and Daiki Oshima making significant contributions. Team China's young players, aside from the main squad, still lack the necessary impact.
Team China's female singles was the biggest gain, especially Kuai Man, who finally broke through and played better than ever before. With continued improvement, she has the potential to join the main team. On the other hand, despite multiple main players in Japan's female singles lineup suffering defeats, even with Nagasaki Meiyo and Miu Kihara reaching the semifinals, they were both swept by Kuai Man. Early Hina and Miyuu Hirano also lost to Team China.
Japan's female doubles are indeed formidable, having defeated Team China in last year's finals. Daiki Oshima/Sakura Yokoi, though not considered main players, demonstrated impressive teamwork. Japan's mixed doubles made a comprehensive push, with Kakeru Matsumoto reaching the finals in both doubles events, winning the mixed doubles and taking silver in the men's doubles, showcasing good chemistry with Harimoto.
Among Team China's male players, Huang Youzheng stood out, performing well in both the men's singles and mixed doubles. Although he only reached the round of 16 in the men's singles, his technical potential is promising, with high-quality attacks. We look forward to his better performance next week.