Get ready for some intense ping-pong action! The draw for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, Qatar was unveiled this Wednesday, setting the stage for epic battles on the table. 🏓
In the men's singles, Chinese top seed Lin Shidong will kick off his campaign against Spain's Alvaro Robles. With the draw placing him in the same half as compatriot No. 5 seed Liang Jingkun (who faces Egypt's Omar Assar), the competition is already heating up! Notably, this half also features Brazil's latest World Championship winner Hugo Calderano and France's No. 6 seed Felix LeBrun.
The other half brings together second-seeded Wang Chuqin from China alongside Japanese ace Tomokazu Harimoto and Sweden's No. 7 seed Truls Moregard—promising a thrilling mix of styles and strategies.
The women's singles draw is equally exciting. No. 1 seed Sun Yingsha of China will battle it out in a half with her compatriot fourth-seed Wang Yidi and two strong Japanese contenders, No. 8 Mima Ito and No. 7 Satsuki Odo. Meanwhile, another half will see second-seeded Wang Manyu and China's No. 3 Chen Xingtong taking on formidable opponents from Japan, Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata.
Team-ups in the doubles events are loaded with potential too. In the women's doubles, the third-seeded Chinese pair Qian Tianyi and Chen might face an eye-catching semifinal showdown with Japan's top seeds Odo and Sakura Yokoi, should both make a deep run. Over in the men's doubles, two Chinese pairs—Liang with Huang Youzheng and Lin Gaoyuan with Lin Shidong—are set in the same half, promising plenty of fast-paced exchanges.
Don’t miss the mixed doubles action: Lin Shidong teams up with Kuai to take on No. 3 seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem of China's Hong Kong in one half, while second-seeded Chinese pair Wang Chuqin and Sun are pitted against challengers from South Korea (Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin) and Japan (Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto) in the other.
The finals kick off on May 17, so mark your calendars and get ready for a display of speed, skill, and heart-pounding rallies! 🔥
Reference(s):
Draw results announced for World Table Tennis Championships Finals
cgtn.com
