Chennai: Japan’s Miwa Harimoto outwitted compatriot Honoka Hashimoto 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7 to clinch the women’s title at the WTT Star Contender here.
Later, Oh Junsung of South Korea, after trailing 2-3, came back to clinch the men’s singles title decider against France’s Thibault Poret 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, in what was the 12th-seeded paddler’s first senior WTT title.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Both the singles finals on Sunday lived up to expectations, providing plenty of excitement. While the men’s singles turned out to be a nail-biter, in the women’s singles, a rule was introduced to reduce the duration of the match.
The first four points of the women’s final featured a 55-shot rally and a 50-shot rally. It was quite evident that it was going to be a close encounter. Honoka, a defensive player, used her chops and slices, while world No. 6 Miwa looked for gaps to attack.
The world No. 30 used her variations to good effect and continuously blocked Miwa’s attacks. The 16-year-old looked for openings to attack and was successful in converting those. After the match was tied 1-1, the Expedite rule was applied in the third game, as fewer than 18 points were played in 10 minutes of the game. From then on, both players served alternately after each point, instead of the usual mandatory two serves, and the receiver was deemed to have won the point if they returned the ball successfully 13 consecutive times.
The rule arguably worked against Honoka. However, the 26-year-old, after losing the third and fourth games, came back and added some firepower to her game. This helped her win the fifth, but not without a fight. Miwa saved six game points, but Honoka secured the next two points to get back into the contest.
Manav’s dream run ends in semis India’s top-ranked Manav Thakkar fought hard but went down 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11 to Poret in the men’s singles semifinals. The 24-year-old Indian showcased impressive attacking and counter-attacking skills, staying competitive throughout. However, the Frenchman stayed ahead with his attack to reach the final.
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