The WTT Yokohama Championship shocked everyone: Wang Chuqin lost to Tomokazu Harimoto and missed the championship, which is hard to believe.

On August 11, Beijing time, the men's singles final of the WTT Yokohama Championship began with great enthusiasm, showcasing China's key player Wang Chuqin competing against Tomokazu Harimoto. Although Wang Chuqin was down 0-3, he managed to rally and win two games but ultimately fell 2-4 to Harimoto, missing the chance for a dramatic turnaround. This surprising loss was shocking and highlighted the troubling state of Chinese men's singles, which appears to be under pressure and uncertain moving forward.

Wang Chuqin is ranked second in the world and won the men's singles title at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships this season, marking a breakthrough. He performed consistently well in this tournament, reaching the finals again, where he faced Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, who is ranked fourth in the world. Historically, Wang Chuqin had defeated Harimoto in their previous eight encounters, so expectations were high for Wang to claim victory and the championship. However, an unexpected turn of events occurred!

As the match began, both players engaged in a fierce battle, but Wang Chuqin failed to seize a crucial point and fell behind 9-11. Subsequently, Wang attempted aggressive shots but made increasing errors. Harimoto, well-prepared, displayed rock-solid defense and quickly capitalized on opportunities, winning 11-5 and 11-8, taking a commanding 3-0 lead. Pressured into a corner, Wang Chuqin exploded with energy, saving two match points consecutively with scores of 11-9 and 13-11. In the pivotal sixth game, Harimoto led and called for a medical timeout. Upon returning, he dominated with an 11-4 victory, clinching the match 4-2 in a stunning upset and ending his eight-match losing streak against Wang Chuqin, winning the championship on home soil!

Although Harimoto's victory was slightly tainted by the medical timeout that slowed the game's pace, Wang Chuqin cannot blame anyone else. His performance in this match was truly poor, revealing numerous flaws: he had a one-dimensional strategy, made many errors, and struggled under pressure, unable to find a solution against Harimoto's dominance. Trailing 0-3 changed his mindset, and he showed no adaptability. At this moment, we still miss Fan Zhendong; currently, there is no player in men's singles who can take on the leading role, making the Los Angeles Olympics quite risky, as Harimoto and Hugo are our biggest rivals!

By/ Sports Novel

#Top Creator Incentive Program#​