WTT Contender Tunis 2025 Apr 22-27

[pongfugrasshopper]

World Table Tennis

worldtabletennis.com

Three days of qualification starts Tuesday, April 22. Main Draw starts on Friday, April 25. Felix Lebrun is top seed in MS. Hina Hayata is top seed in WS. Both will be looking for redemption after bowing out early at the World Cup. WS must be undersubscribed as there are 7 Japanese women (Hayata, Miwa, Odo, Kihara, Nagasaki, Yokoi, and Sato) as well as 2 in qualifiers (Sasao, Uesawa). WD includes top 2 seeds from Japan: Odo/Yokoi and Miwa/Kihara.

 

[JackJohnson]

World Table Tennis

worldtabletennis.com

Three days of qualification starts Tuesday, April 22. Main Draw starts on Friday, April 25. Felix Lebrun is top seed in MS. Hina Hayata is top seed in WS. Both will be looking for redemption after bowing out early at the World Cup. WS must be undersubscribed as there are 7 Japanese women (Hayata, Miwa, Odo, Kihara, Nagasaki, Yokoi, and Sato) as well as 2 in qualifiers (Sasao, Uesawa). WD includes top 2 seeds from Japan: Odo/Yokoi and Miwa/Kihara.

What about Hashimoto? Why isn’t she playing?

 

[KiwiPong]

And still no sign of Hirano…….

 

[zeio]

And still no sign of Hirano…….

Still enjoying her long-overdue vacation. The real race begins in 2026 at the earliest. Could be pushed back to late 2026 given the current situation.

https://www.instagram.com/miu_hirano/p/DIbb6YcTrFM/

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Still enjoying her long-overdue vacation. The real race begins in 2026 at the earliest. Could be pushed back to late 2026 given the current situation.

https://www.instagram.com/miu_hirano/p/DIbb6YcTrFM/

Even though LA2028 is still a ways off, you still want to be within striking distance of the lead pack. You want to get invited to WTT Champions events, NER limit of 4, and WTT Smash events, NER limit of 6. Hirano is right at 6, and I think she's banking on doing well at the 2025 WTTC. Kihara is at 7 but playing at Contender Tunis. With Hirano having significant points expiring next week, Kihara has a chance at surpassing Hirano.

 

[GAOdp]

WTT Contender Tunis-2025 - is the fifth table tennis tournament of the series in 2025 WTT Contender Series (and the third tournament of the level WTT Contenders), held at the Salle Omnisport de Radès, Avenue de France, 2098 Rades Médina in Ben Arous, Tunisia. The WTT Contender Tunis 2025 is being held FÉDÉRATION TUNISIENNE DE TENNIS DE TABLE (Table Tennis Federation of Tunisia) under the patronage of World Table Tennis (WTT) from April 22 to April 27, 2025.

The prize money for medalists in the tournament was $100,000.

Tournament qualification
Top 20 Participation Restrictions
Singles events

• A maximum of three (3) players will be permitted to participate if players are inside the Top 20 of the ITTF TTWR, at the time of the entry deadline.

National Entry Restriction (NER)
Singles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event excluding the WTT nomination. The restriction is applied across both the Main Draw and Qualifying competition, to provide for a maximum total of four (4) players in any combination (i.e., 2 Qualifying / 2 Main Draw or 1 Qualifying / 3 Main Draw).

Doubles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of eight (8) players per event with a maximum three (3) full pairs consisting of players from the same Member Association (i.e., 3 CZE/CZE, 1 CZE/SWE, 1 CZE/GER).

Mixed Doubles events

• Each Member Association shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) players per event in any pairing combination.

The Host is permitted to use its wildcards to nominate additional players from any Member Association and/or pairs in any combination outside of the NER limit.

Wildcards

• The host is entitled to the following Wildcards: three (3) players for the Singles Main Draw and two (2) pairs for the Doubles and Mixed Doubles Main Draw.
• The host is entitled to the following Wildcards: twelve (12) players for the Singles Qualifying Draw and two (2) pairs for the Doubles
• Any unused Wildcards/Nominations will be returned to the direct entries.

Useful links
Link to the tournament on the WTT website: WTT Contender Tunis 2025
Playlist of tournament matches on the Youtube channel of the WT websiteT: @WTTGlobal

 

[yamagata]

Will be entertaining to see if Swedish old timers Falck and Karlsson can overcome their decline, they play all disciplines. And how far Sato can reach.

 

[nicedream]

First international event since the war started with Russian players? Maksim Grebnev and Elizabet Abraamian. Playing under neutral flag though.

 

[zeio]

First international event since the war started with Russian players? Maksim Grebnev and Elizabet Abraamian. Playing under neutral flag though.

Russian, Belarusian table tennis players to return as neutrals: ITTF
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...ble-tennis-players-to-return-as-neutrals-ittf

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) said on Thursday that players from Russia and Belarus could resume competing “under strict conditions of neutrality” from May at the earliest, but cannot enter that month’s World Championships after missing qualifiers.

Table tennis is the first sport to commit to readmitting these athletes since the IOC published its guidelines.

ITTF Statement on the Participation of Players with a Russian or Belarusian Passport
https://www.ittf.com/2023/03/30/ittf-statement-participation-players-russian-belarusian-passport/

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

If Kihara plays to her #4 seeding and makes the SF, she will have enough points to surpass Hirano (who is currently ahead by 40 pts). Hirano will then need to make at least R16 at the WTTC to surpass Kihara. Hirano is fully capable of course, but there's a lot of dangerous players at the WTTC. Not just CNT and fellow JNT, but players like KNY, Lee Eunhye, Pavade if she meets them in early rounds. So there's somewhat of a mini-race heading into Grand Smash season starting with the US Smash in July where big points and money are available.

 

[NextLevel]

If Kihara plays to her #4 seeding and makes the SF, she will have enough points to surpass Hirano (who is currently ahead by 40 pts). Hirano will then need to make at least R16 at the WTTC to surpass Kihara. Hirano is fully capable of course, but there's a lot of dangerous players at the WTTC. Not just CNT and fellow JNT, but players like KNY, Lee Eunhye, Pavade if she meets them in early rounds. So there's somewhat of a mini-race heading into Grand Smash season starting with the US Smash in July where big points and money are available.

I believe Hirano is usually eliminated by CNT players at the WTTC. She will be fine there.

 

[turbozed]

Ankur Bhattacharjee. Indian talent was able to beat Sung Yang 3-1.

And that's not the most incredible thing. He was sending back Yang's chops with BACKHAND loops and crazy loopkills!

Never seen anything like this. You guys gotta go watch it. Qualifying Day 1 / Table 1 / Session 1

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Lilian Bardet also beat Sun Yang so SY does not make it to the main draw.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Lilian Bardet also beat Sun Yang so SY does not make it to the main draw.

CNT mens, won 1 match today, loss 8

 

[piligrim]

Ankur Bhattacharjee. Indian talent was able to beat Sung Yang 3-1.

And that's not the most incredible thing. He was sending back Yang's chops with BACKHAND loops and crazy loopkills!

Never seen anything like this. You guys gotta go watch it. Qualifying Day 1 / Table 1 / Session 1

 

[piligrim]

 

[joshmak10]

CNT mens, won 1 match today, loss 8

Shows how poor the development of the young Chinese men seem to be (or how much better the other countries are at developing their youth)

 

[NextLevel]

Ankur Bhattacharjee. Indian talent was able to beat Sung Yang 3-1.

And that's not the most incredible thing. He was sending back Yang's chops with BACKHAND loops and crazy loopkills!

Never seen anything like this. You guys gotta go watch it. Qualifying Day 1 / Table 1 / Session 1

Watch MLTT when Wei Wang played Jeet Chandra.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

A bright spot for the CNT was on the women's side. Zhu Qihui, just 13 years old but with a silky smooth FH and strong serves, beat Yeh Yi-Tian 3-1. Miwa will need to keep an eye on her in a few years.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

A bright spot for the CNT was on the women's side. Zhu Qihui, just 13 years old but with a silky smooth FH and strong serves, beat Yeh Yi-Tian 3-1. Miwa will need to keep an eye on her in a few years.

Zhu indeed looks very strong
and very mature for a 13 year old
feels more like a 15 year old to me.