 ousted the 2nd seed and two-time WTT Grand Smash champion, Fan Zhendong (CHN), in a thrilling comeback win during the Men's Singles R16, with scores of 4-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10.){kind=link}
Day 5 of the Saudi Smash 2024 Main Draw was a spectacle of surprises and exhilarating table tennis action. In a remarkable turn of events, Patrick Franziska (GER) ousted the 2nd seed and two-time WTT Grand Smash champion, Fan Zhendong (CHN), in a thrilling comeback win during the Men’s Singles R16, with scores of 4-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10.
Pairing up for the first time, Yangzi Liu (HKG) and Ng Wing Lam (AUS) were the talk of the town, extending their dream debut as Women’s Doubles teammates with another stunning display against Barbora Balazova (SVK) and Hana Matelova (CZE) (11-8, 5-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8).
Meanwhile, the journey ended for the final qualifiers, Noshad Alamiyan (IRI) and Giorgia Piccolin (ITA), who both bowed out in the R16, wrapping up their commendable runs in the tournament.
Video Highlights
Highlights from Day 05 (08 May 2024) Part 1:
Highlights from Day 05 (08 May 2024) Part 2:
https://media.archive.worldtabletennis.com/record/~b93194e54d
Highlights from Day 05 (08 May 2024) Part 3:
https://media.archive.worldtabletennis.com/record/~370b92faa9
Keep an eye for these key moments and more as Day 6 unfolds, bringing us closer to finding out who will dominate at this year’s Saudi Smash.
Today’s action at the Saudi Smash promises non-stop excitement with 13 high-stakes matches across various sub-events. The highlight of the day is the Mixed Doubles final at 18:30, where top seeds Wang Chuqin (CHN) and Sun Yingsha (CHN) will battle the 6th seeds Wong Chun Ting (HKG) and Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) to become the first champions of this year’s event.
Additionally, the finalists for both Men’s and Women’s Doubles will be decided, setting up intense and strategic matches as teams compete for their spots in the finals.
In Singles, the competition intensifies in the Quarterfinals, with five men’s seeds and six women’s seeds still in contention, each aiming to advance closer to the coveted title.
World No.3 Wang Yidi (CHN) faces World No.10 Mima Ito (JPN) in the Women’s Singles Quarterfinal at 16:05. Wang, who saved a match point in the R64, has a 7-2 head-to-head advantage over Ito and is on a four-match winning streak against her. Both players are eager to claim their first WTT Series title of the year, with Wang eyeing the No.2 ranking and Ito needing a win to re-enter the Top 5.
Felix Lebrun (FRA) matches up against Jang Woojin (KOR) in the Men’s Singles Quarterfinal at 16:50. Lebrun, at a career-high No.5 ranking, is looking to build on his rapid R16 victory, while Jang, enjoying his best WTT Grand Smash run, aims to capitalise on his momentum after knocking out 3rd seed Ma Long. Both players bring formidable skills to what promises to be a fast-paced and gripping match.
Credit: WTT Press