ITTF World Championships: Lin survives scare; Harimoto impresses on debut
DOHA: Top names were tested on the second day at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals here.
In the men’s singles, former world No.2 China’s Lin Gaoyuan narrowly avoided a shock exit in his opening round. But he edged past Egypt’s Youssef Abdelaziz in a tense six-game battle (6-11, 11-2, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6).
Lin found himself under pressure early, with the Egyptian showing exceptional grit and skill to take the lead and keep the contest tight throughout. However, Lin’s experience ultimately prevailed, as he regrouped to secure the win and keep his championship campaign alive.
In the women’s singles, Japan’s Miwa Harimoto made a winning debut at the World Championships Finals by beating Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska 4-1 (11-8, 17-15, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7). The 16-year-old showed maturity beyond her years, handling the pressure of the global stage with poise.
Another standout moment came from 58-year-old Zhiying Zeng of Chile, who stunned the crowd with a dominant performance against Qatar’s Maryam Ali.
Zeng, the oldest competitor in the women’s field, cruised to victory in straight games (11-2, 11-7, 11-1, 11-1) where she proved that age is just a number during her flawless display of control and precision.
In the Men’s Doubles action, Singapore’s Pang Koen and Izaac Quek impressed with a solid 3-1 win over Denmark’s Anders Lind and Martin Andersen (12-14, 11-8, 12-10, 13-11).
With early upsets narrowly avoided and rising stars making their mark, the stage is set for an electrifying tournament on the third today.
