6 May 2024

Mima Ito found her groove at Saudi Smash as she cruised her way past Doo Hoi Kem 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-6) in the the round of 16 of the Women's Singles.

It was the twelfth international encounter between the pair, with the head-to-head standing at 7:4 in favour of Ito. Their last match came in the final of WTT Contender Amman 2023. On that occasion it was a walkover win to Ito, with Doo unable to compete due to injury. Today the match went in to full swing, but from the opening points it was Ito all the way.

Ito struck first, racing to an early lead in the opening game. Doo couldn't close the gap and it was one notch on the scoreboard to the World No.10.

"I went into the groove from the first game. I knew first games are very important and secured this one for certain." Mima Ito

Mima Ito was in cracking form as she held back Doo in style.

Doo went in to her well of experience as she tried to find a way back in to the match. Having spent more than decade of her career inside the world's Top 50, the Hong Kong, China stalwart wasn't going to be pushed aside. Doo kept things level, going toe-to-toe in the rallies to even edge ahead for a 5-3 lead in the second game. But that is when Ito found another gear.

"I’m in great form myself. As my opponent might change her approach and leave me unsure of how to respond, I executed my game solidly while observing her actions closely." Mima Ito

The Japanese star took the reins and didn't hold back. With the deft hands of a magician, Ito nullified any advantage Doo had on her serves. The four-time WTT Series champion took seven consecutive points and eventually the game.

Doo's service problems kept coming in the face of a fruit salad's worth of strawberry and banana receives. By the time Ito had scored the third game and closed out the match, Doo had won just seven points in total on service.

6 May 2024

Manika Batra is through to the last 16 of the Women’s Singles draw at Saudi Smash 2024 after pulling off an almighty upset on Monday afternoon, sending Wang Manyu to an early exit (6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10).

Celebrating a significant title win at Singapore Smash 2024 in March, Wang was going for back-to-back successes on the WTT Grand Smash stage, but would instead leave King Abdullah Sports City with regret.

Prevailing in all five of her previous clashes against Batra, the early indications in their sixth encounter all pointed towards another routine win for Wang as the World No.2 powered through the opening game at a rate of knots.

A player who had never previously won a main draw match at a WTT Grand Smash event prior to this week, Delhi’s golden girl Batra couldn’t have had greater odds stacked against her on Monday, but a response in game two suddenly changed the mood as the Indian player asked the question of her rival.

Tension filled Infinity ∞ Arena as any suggestions of a quick three games and done for Wang evaporated, and mild annoyance soon turned to serious concern for the Singapore Smash champ as Batra bagged game three to take the lead for the first time.

9 April 2024

Luka Mladenovic (LUX) | Men’s No.118 (+39, career best) 

Very much a ranked outsider heading into the action in Otocec and Varazdin, Luka Mladenovic sent a message to any doubters, not once but twice. Appearing in his first Men’s Singles semifinal at last month’s WTT Feeder Beirut II, Mladenovic would go on a stunning run to match that effort in Otocec before taking down top seed Kao Cheng-Jui on his way to a quarterfinal finish in Varazdin. Mladenovic has climbed 89 ranking spots in the last 28 days and now has his sights firmly set on the world's Top 100. 

26 March 2024

Xia Lian Ni (LUX) | Women’s No.42 (+17)

Continuing to mix it on the pro scene at the age of 60, age-defying superstar Xia Lian Ni is the living embodiment of the phrase “age is just a number”. Brushing aside a talented crop of players all 20+ years her junior on her way to the Women’s Singles title at the first WTT Feeder event of last week, Ni jumps 17 positions in Week 13’s rankings, returning to the World Top 50 after a four-week spell outside the group.

Sreeja Akula (IND) | Women’s No.40 (+7, career best)

Adding to a special week for Indian table tennis, Sreeja Akula also found herself amongst the headlines in Beirut, clinching her second Women’s Singles trophy of the year with a stellar display at WTT Feeder Beirut II. Trending in an encouraging direction, the 25-year-old breaks into the World Top 40 for the first time, just two places back from the highest-ranked Indian star in the Women’s Singles standings, Manika Batra.

13 March 2024

Sreeja Akula and Chuang Chih-Yuan celebrated a weekend to remember after coming away with the respective singles titles at WTT Feeder Beirut II 2024 on Sunday 24 March, bringing an action-packed week in the Lebanese capital to an exciting conclusion.

The second of two WTT Feeder Series events to be held during the week, WTT Feeder Beirut II offered players who fell short earlier in the week another shot at glory, an opportunity Akula and Chuang took full advantage of.

Lifting her first WTT Feeder event Women’s Singles trophy earlier this season in Corpus Christi, Akula encountered her fair share of bumps on her path to the final in Beirut, surviving a quarterfinal scare against Liu Hsing-Yin (11-4, 3-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6) before taking down WTT Feeder Beirut I finalist Suh Hyo Won one round later (11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11).

Akula would find herself in hot water early on against Sarah De Nutte in the final itself, facing the prospect of a two-game deficit at 9-10 down in game two. But the Indian star kept her cool, saving the game before adding two more to her tally to complete an impressive come from behind win (6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9).

 

9 Januaray 2024

The first WTT Feeder Series event of the year has seen Sreeja Akula come up trumps, taking down her maiden WTT Women's Singles title.

Coming in to WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 as the 5th seed, Sreeja pushed her way through the pack in style. The World No.94 even eliminated top seed Amy Wang in a full-distance thriller in the quarterfinal stage.

In the final, the 25-year-old from Indian faced 2nd seed Lily Zhang along with the hometown crowd the USA star brought with her to the court. In what was a first-time meeting between the pair, Akula kept a clean scoreboard to take the title, winning in straight games (11-6, 18-16, 11-5).

It was the second game that proved crucial in the underdog's run. Zhang was staring down the barrel of two game points when trailing 8-10. But holding her nerve, the World No.46 scored three times in succession. The local now held a chance to draw even on the scoreboard.

It was from there things went in to overdrive. Zhang racked up a total of five game points but was unable to convert on any of them. Meanwhile, Sreeja finally closed out the game on her fourth attempt.