Shidong Cruises Into Quarters Chuqin Survives Scare In Doha

Doha: Top seed Lin Shidong made light work of Swedish No 15 seed Anton Kallberg, winning in straight games 11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 as the title favourite stayed on course for his maiden world singles title yesterday.

On day-five of the ITTF World Championships Finals Doha 2025, the 20-year-old Chinese sensation spent 35 minutes to overcome the Paris Olympics silver winner, holding off a stiff opposition particularly in a tense second game.

The win earned Shidong to book an all-Chinese quarter-final meeting with two-time world Championship team gold medallist Liang Jingkun who ended Englishman Tom Jarvis' dream run with a thrilling 4-2 (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-2, 11-6) win.

Jarvis, one of the surprise stars of the Doha tournament, had earlier racked up wins over Slovakia's Benedek Olah, Germany's 10th seed Dang Qiu and Romania's Iulian Chirita.

Unlike his World No.1 compatriot Shidong, World No. 2 Wang Chuqin had to push hard for survival when he met France's Simon Gauzy in search of a spot in the quarter-finals.

Despite being tested to his limits by the 30-year-old over 51 minutes, Chuqin secured a 4-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8) win.

“I suddenly felt this could be my last game if I didn't turn the tables,” Chuqin said.

“I calmed myself down, not thinking about winning or losing. I just focused on tactics and skills,” Chuqin said.

Gauzy, ranked 43rd in the world, said“Wang was not at his best at the beginning, while I was. It's hard to handle his power and speed.”

Wang will now face 13th seed Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei who ousted eighth seed Patrick Franziska of Germany 11-8,10-12,10-12,11-7,9-11,11-7,4-11 in an exhilarating seven-game thriller.

In the women's singles, top seed Sun Yingsha prevailed 4-2 over South Korea's rising star Shin Yubin after an hour-long duel (11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10), while World No 2 Wang Manyu barely broke sweat on her way to the quarter-finals, overcoming Romania's 11th-seed Bernadette Szocs 4-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6).

In one of the biggest upsets of the day, Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-Ju and Kao Cheng-Jui stunned Chinese pair of Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan 3-1 (11-5, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8) in the men's doubles quarter-finals. The elimination of the No.9 seeds marks the first time since 1975 that China has failed to reach the semi-finals of the men's doubles event at the World Championships.

Earlier in the Mixed Doubles, two-time defending World Champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha overcame an early setback to beat Japan's Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9).

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