The penultimate day of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 got underway with compelling semifinal action, setting the stage for a potential historic achievement in Saturday’s Mixed Doubles final.
Historic Third Title for Wang and Sun
Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha made history by becoming Mixed Doubles champions for the third consecutive ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals, defeating Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8) to lift the Heydusek Cup in Doha.
Crowned champions in 2021 and 2023, Wang and Sun entered as outright favourites to complete the hat-trick, having been imperious throughout the event, dropping just one game en route to the final. As Lusail Sports Arena erupted to life with enormous cheers, the Chinese superstars took a little time to find their rhythm, with the opening three points going to their Japanese rivals.
However, Wang and Sun would eventually find their mojo, reversing the early deficit to take the opening game 11-7. The second game remained tight with momentum shifting multiple times, but once again the Chinese pair struck true, inching ever closer to their historic achievement.
With their title aspirations fading, Yoshimura and Odo needed a response in the third game. Trailing 4-7 before cutting it to 6-7, the Japanese pair used their timeout strategically. Though they dropped the immediate point, the timeout worked perfectly as they struck four consecutive points to claim the game and extend the match.
That turnaround completely changed the complexion of the encounter as Yoshimura and Odo began asserting authority in the fourth game, riding the wave to a 5-8 lead and needing just three more points to force a decider. But just when the threat of a fifth game was becoming real, the defending champions stopped their opponents in their tracks, leaning on their champion-calibre qualities to write their names in the history books once again.
Wang Chuqin Claims Paris 2024 Revenge
China’s second seed Wang Chuqin secured his place in the Men’s Singles final with a commanding 4-1 victory over Sweden’s Truls Moregard (11-5, 11-8, 2-11, 10-12, 12-10). The triumph was particularly sweet for Wang, who gained revenge for his defeat to Moregard in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games final.
After taking a commanding 2-0 lead, Wang saw his advantage slip as Moregard fought back to level the match at 2-2. However, the Chinese star showed his championship mettle by holding his nerve in a tense fifth game, converting his third match point to reach his second consecutive World Championships final.
Sun Yingsha Maintains Perfect Form
Defending champion Sun Yingsha continued her imperious run through the tournament, dismantling Japan’s eighth seed Mima Ito 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4) to reach the Women’s Singles final. The world number one’s dominant performance showcased exactly why she remains the player to beat, barely dropping rhythm throughout the encounter.
Ito, who had finally achieved her breakthrough by reaching the semifinals, was unable to match the defending champion’s relentless precision and power. Sun’s victory sets up an all-Chinese final as she seeks to retain her crown.
Chinese Dominance in Women’s Doubles
China’s second seeds Wang Manyu and Kuai Man booked their place in the Women’s Doubles final with a comprehensive 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-5) victory over Japan’s fourth seeds Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara. The Chinese pair’s clinical performance demonstrated their readiness for Saturday’s final, where they will face either Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin and Ryu Hanna or the unseeded European pairing of Sofia Polcanova and Bernadette Szocs.
Saturday’s Semifinal Action
Saturday evening will see several compelling semifinals across the remaining events. Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, fresh from his historic ITTF Men’s World Cup triumph last month where he defeated Tomokazu Harimoto, Wang Chuqin and world number one Lin Shidong, faces China’s Liang Jingkun at 17:40 (GMT+3). Can the Brazilian, who secured his nation’s first-ever World Championships medal, defeat another Chinese star to book a spot in the final?
The Women’s Singles final will be an all-Chinese affair as Chen Xingtong meets Wang Manyu at 18:20 (GMT+3), with both players guaranteed to add to China’s medal haul.
In Men’s Doubles, France’s top seeds Felix and Alexis Lebrun will face Chinese Taipei’s sixth seeds Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju at 19:00 (GMT+3). The French brothers earned their place in the final after their scheduled opponents, France’s Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud, were forced to withdraw due to Dorr’s knee injury. Despite the withdrawal, Dorr and Bourrassaud secured a historic bronze medal – France’s first World Championships medal in 28 years since Jean-Philippe Gatien and Damien Eloi’s bronze in Manchester.
With all semifinalists now guaranteed medals, the stage is set for an enthralling conclusion to the championships. The spotlight will particularly shine on Wang and Sun’s quest for history, as they aim to etch their names into the record books with a third consecutive Mixed Doubles crown. Follow all the live action on the WTT YouTube channel and stay updated with results here.
