ITTF WTTC Finals Doha 2025, 5/17-25

[driversbeat]

Hayata is the only female player in recent memory to have beaten two CNT players in two consecutive WTTCs. Most recent record of a player from another association beating CNT in WTTC women's singles is 2009, with KOR doing nearly all of the damage.

2009
R128: Park Y. Sook (KOR) beat Yao Yan 4-3

2005
R16: Gao Jun (USA) beat Cao Zhen 4-1
R32: Moon Hyun Jung (KOR) beat Wang Nan 4-3

1999
R16: Ryu Ji Hye (KOR) beat Yang Ying 3-0

To put Hayata's victory against WYD in 2023 further into perspective, according to the ITTF museum of records (no results before R16 for 2003 and prior editions), the last time CNT was beaten in the medal rounds (QF) was in 1993 when Hyun Jung Hwa (KOR) beat Chen Zihe (CHN) 3-0 and eventually went on to win the title. Chen Jing (TPE) also beat Zheng Yuan (CHN) 3-1 in the same edition but Chen Jing is also former CNT. Ryu Ji Hye (KOR) also broke the wall prematurely in 1999 in R16 and eventually went on to secure bronze. Cao Zhen was supposed to form the last piece of the Great Wall of CNT Quarterfinalists in 2005 but got beaten prematurely by Gao Jun (USA), also former CNT. Lin Ling representing her new association HKG then capitalised to win bronze.

The wall was 'incomplete' in 2001 because 4 CNT were drawn into the top half with only Lin Ling (then representing CHN) at the bottom half. Perhaps someone who knows if there was an upset in the earlier rounds can fill in the gaps.

Can JNT girls make history again in 2025? They literally couldn't have asked for a better matchup with these four and CNT's four.

SYS vs Odo: Least familiar opponent, Odo's game could still have the shock factor. Last time they met was 3-1 with G2 and G2 going to 14-12.
WYD vs Ito: Probably the opponent Ito has the least problems with out of the top 4. Last time Ito posed a real challenge was Saudi Smash 2024 where she led 3-6 in the 7th game before losing momentum after missing a smash. Two other encounters in 2025 have been rather one-sided.
CXT vs Hayata: Went down to the decider in both Asian Cup and Singapore Smash this year.
WMY vs Miwa: Miwa has mentioned her preference for playing WMY compared to SYS and CM. Came close to holding matchpoint at World Cup this year but not close enough.

1993

1999

2001

2005

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

great battle here

had me screaming at the TV again wow

 

[baotran]

2-3 against Duda, 2-3 against Franziska, 2-3 against Kao Cheng-jui, 2-3 against Lee Sangsu and now 3-4 against An Jaehuyn. Felix has lost too many deciding games since last year after olympics.

 

[ivangle]

Well played An!! held onto his nerve and clutched it 11-9 in the decider. Felix almost caught up too, never say die attitude

 

[joshmak10]

Wow An Jaehyun, incredible stuff

 

[travelt123]

2-3 against Duda, 2-3 against Franziska, 2-3 against Kao Cheng-jui, 2-3 against Lee Sangsu and now 3-4 against An Jaehuyn. Felix has lost too many deciding games since last year after olympics.

The Olympics is starting to look like beginners luck for him considering he had the home crowd cheering.

 

[doppelmoral]

Amazing game between AJH and Felix. I saw their match last year at WTT Champions Frankfurt, where AJH did not have the right answers for Felix's speed.

Glad AJH clutched another win after yesterdays close match vs LYC. Now looking forward to his game tomorrow vs Hugo.

 

[ivangle]

The Olympics is starting to look like beginners luck for him considering he had the home crowd cheering.

he played well, no denying that but i kinda agree with you cuz he had a rlly good draw

 

[rpb23]

Since Felix beat Oh Sang Eun's son in the previous round, Oh is doing everything he can to have An win this match, including calling a 10-10 timeout.

Good move as long as it worked out. Otherwise, Oh would be heavily questioned and criticized. The merit of this type of TO call depends all on the result.

 

[NextLevel]

To put Hayata's victory against WYD in 2023 further into perspective, according to the ITTF museum of records (no results before R16 for 2003 and prior editions), the last time CNT was beaten in the medal rounds (QF) was in 1993 when Hyun Jung Hwa (KOR) beat Chen Zihe (CHN) 3-0 and eventually went on to win the title. Chen Jing (TPE) also beat Zheng Yuan (CHN) 3-1 in the same edition but Chen Jing is also former CNT. Ryu Ji Hye (KOR) also broke the wall prematurely in 1999 in R16 and eventually went on to secure bronze. Cao Zhen was supposed to form the last piece of the Great Wall of CNT Quarterfinalists in 2005 but got beaten prematurely by Gao Jun (USA), also former CNT. Lin Ling representing her new association HKG then capitalised to win bronze.

The wall was 'incomplete' in 2001 because 4 CNT were drawn into the top half with only Lin Ling (then representing CHN) at the bottom half. Perhaps someone who knows if there was an upset in the earlier rounds can fill in the gaps.

Can JNT girls make history again in 2025? They literally couldn't have asked for a better matchup with these four and CNT's four.

SYS vs Odo: Least familiar opponent, Odo's game could still have the shock factor. Last time they met was 3-1 with G2 and G2 going to 14-12.
WYD vs Ito: Probably the opponent Ito has the least problems with out of the top 4. Last time Ito posed a real challenge was Saudi Smash 2024 where she led 3-6 in the 7th game before losing momentum after missing a smash. Two other encounters in 2025 have been rather one-sided.
CXT vs Hayata: Went down to the decider in both Asian Cup and Singapore Smash this year.
WMY vs Miwa: Miwa has mentioned her preference for playing WMY compared to SYS and CM. Came close to holding matchpoint at World Cup this year but not close enough.

1993

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1999
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2001
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2005
View attachment 36423

You do not like to listen to the experts, do you?

 

[zeio]

MS R16
T1 F. Lebrun (6) 3-4 AJH (17) (10, -9, -12, 7, 12, -6, -9)

Felix gets to taste the defeat Harimoto experienced at WTTC 2019.

With this win, AJH proves he's the worthier one (over JWJ) for the WTTC 2019 MS bronze.

Could've ended in 6 games as AJH almost came back from 7:10 down again in G5.

Also, Oh Sangeun the Great Tactician is the man again after bench coaching RSM to the final over WLQ in SF and MLin in QF at World Cup 2007 (he probably had to leave after that as RSM was alone in the final against WH) and also his son Oh Junsung's win over WCQ in QF at ATTC 2024. No wonder Tieba users joke about how Molin can't even provide emotional support...

MS R32
T1 AJH (17) 4-3 Lin Yen-Chun (7, -7, 5, -5, -7, 7, 14)
G7 30 TO for LYC, 35, 45, 46, 66, 77, 88, 810, 1110 LYC missed two mirror-image FHs, 1111, 1211, 1213, 1413, 1414, 1614
First time for AJH to reach R16 again since WTTC 2019.

WTTC 2019 R128 4-0 WCT, R64 4-2 Moregard, R32 4-2 Habesohn, R16 4-2 Harimoto, QF 4-3 JWJ, SF 3-4 Falck
WTTC 2021 R128 3-4 Jha
WTTC 2023 R128 1-4 Pistej
WTTC 2025 R128 4-3 Monteiro, R64 4-2 Mladenovic, R32 4-3 Lin Yen-Chun, R16 - F. Lebrun

MD QF
T2 Ionescu/Robles 2-3 Bourrassaud/Dorr (5) (8, -7, 4, -11, -6)

 

[RefereeNumber2]

too much early success for Felix has led him into the unfortunate position of needing to contemplate retirement

Both Felix and Harimoto have lost to An Jaehyun in R16 of a world championship. Clearly they've both peaked too early and will never achieve anything substantial in their careers.

 

[baotran]

The Olympics is starting to look like beginners luck for him considering he had the home crowd cheering.

Well you just can't say that. I agree that he had the home crowd. But he faced 3rd and 4th players from previous olympics and defeated them. That's not really a beginners luck. It's more like people now have understanded him well, but he did not change too much.

 

[NextLevel]

he played well, no denying that but i kinda agree with you cuz he had a rlly good draw

Yeah, beating Hugo and was it LYJ or Dima is a walk in the park.

 

[NextLevel]

Both Felix and Harimoto have lost to An Jaehyun in R16 of a world championship. Clearly they've both peaked too early and will never achieve anything substantial in their careers.

The TT Gods/Experts have spoken! Too much early success means all later success is trash....

 

[NextLevel]

Well you just can't say that. I agree that he had the home crowd. But he faced 3rd and 4th players from previous olympics and defeated them. That's not really a beginners luck. It's more like people now have understanded him well, but he did not change too much.

He is working on changing his game, these things take time and patience, but fans only care about results so...

 

[jbvttcc]

Some of the US East coast players may have noticed that Quadri was being coached against Duda by Fanny Kokou of Togo who plays and coaches at the Westchester TT club in New York. Congrats to him on a great job.

That’s where I train and play. Kokou is a really nice guy and has a good number and wide range of of students training under him including a couple of young up and coming players.

 

[NextLevel]

If you put it that way, then no former JNT players of the past few decades should teach the current crop of top players as they haven't achieved anything of substantial significance, at which point, you have to take the bad with the good. Miyazaki may sound like a nutjob at times, but along with the management officials, they were behind the reform that produced the results you see today.

Wu Jingping didn't achieve much in his playing career and MLin (WJP got him to ditch LP and turn double-inverted) didn't trust him at first (later on with WH under his wing), yet he led them to 1 Olympic gold and 4 World Cup gold and 1 WTTC gold and 3 World Cup gold.

Same deal for Li Sun and he nurtured 3 grand slam players - WN, ZYN, and LXX.

Saying stupid things to deprecate achievements you never had is not teaching, it is the privilege of anyone who has never won anything. I don't interpret their comments as you do, but one should appreciate the limitations of speaking authoritatively on what one has never done.

 

[zeio]

You do not like to listen to the experts, do you?

And yet you doubt the experts that you deem unworthy.

 

[NextLevel]

And yet you doubt the experts that you deem unworthy.

Sarcasm is not for everyone.