Tunis, Tunisia, 30 June 2024 – In an incredible turn of events at WTT Contender Tunis 2024 Presented by KIA, Japan has swept the champions trophies in all five categories, with top-seeded siblings Miwa Harimoto and Tomokazu Harimoto crowned champions in the Women’s and Men’s Singles events.
Miwa Harimoto showcased her dominance by defeating Satsuki Odo 4-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3), securing her second WTT Series Women’s Singles title since her win at WTT Contender Tunis 2023. Odo, making her first WTT Series Singles final appearance, showed remarkable resilience throughout the event, having won three WTT Feeder Series titles since her debut.
In the Men’s Singles, Tomokazu Harimoto emerged third-time victorious in Tunis in a 4-3 win (9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9) against qualifier Yukiya Uda, who made an impressive run to the final. Harimoto, whose last WTT Series singles title was at WTT Champions ESS 2022, added another feather to his cap with this victory. Uda’s remarkable journey from the qualifiers to his first international singles final since 2020 showcased his unrelenting fight but ultimately fell just short in the deciding game.
The Women’s Doubles saw the Japanese duo of Sakura Yokoi and Satsuki Odo triumph over Diya Parag Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade of India with a commanding 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-3) victory. Yokoi and Odo, fresh off their win at WTT Contender Zagreb earlier this June, continued their winning streak with this title.
Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima’s stellar performance in the Men’s Doubles, led to the defeat of Chinese Taipei’s Feng Yi-Hsin and Huang Yan-Cheng at 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-5). This marked Harimoto and Matsushima’s third WTT outing together as a pair and their first WTT Series Men’s Doubles final win.
The Mixed Doubles crown went to Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, who edged out Sweden’s Christina Kallberg and Kristian Karlsson in a thrilling 3-2 (8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7) match. This victory marks their third WTT Series Mixed Doubles title in June alone and their fifth overall.
WTT Contender Tunis 2024, the 14th WTT Series event of the 2024 season, has once again delivered world-class table tennis action. As the series moves to its next stop at WTT Star Contender Bangkok 2024 starting 2 July, fans can look forward to exciting matches with some of the world’s best in table tennis, as well as wildcard stars and defending champions Lin Gaoyuan and Chen Xingtong.
Will the Harimoto siblings continue their dominance from Tunis to Bangkok? Grab your tickets to WTT Star Contender Bangkok 2024 now to find out or catch it live on YouTube (selected territories).
Credit: WTT Press