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SportsPosted at: Mar 30 2025 9:58PM


Thakkar becomes 1st Indian to reach WTT Star Contender SF

Chennai, Mar 30 (UNI) History was made at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 as Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and South Korea’s Oh Jun-sung clinched the singles titles, while India’s Manav Thakkar scripted a landmark achievement with a spirited semifinal run.
At the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, 24-year-old Thakkar became the first-ever Indian male paddler to reach a WTT Star Contender semifinal, thrilling home fans with his aggressive play and resilience.
However, Thakkar's dream-run ended in a gripping battle against World No 54 Thibault Poret of France. Despite a valiant effort, Thakkar fell 1-3 (12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7), bowing out with his head held high after a hard-fought contest.
Poret, however, could not convert his momentum into a title triumph, falling to South Korea’s 18-year-old sensation Oh Jun-sung in a nail-biting final. The young Korean, playing with remarkable composure, secured a dramatic 4-3 (9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7) victory, capturing his maiden WTT Star Contender crown.
The women’s singles final delivered another exhilarating showdown, as 16-year-old Paris 2024 Olympic medallist Miwa Harimoto triumphed over compatriot Honoka Hashimoto 4-2 (9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7). The match witnessed breathtaking rallies and a strategic shift under the Expedite Rule, which forced both players to adopt a faster approach.
Harimoto’s agility and tactical brilliance saw her seize control of the match, earning her first-ever WTT Star Contender singles title.
Harimoto's dominance extended to the doubles arena as well, as she partnered with fellow Japanese paddler Miyuu Kihara to claim the women’s doubles title. The duo outlasted South Korea’s Shin Yu-bin and Ryu Hanna 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 12-14, 11-5, 11-5) in a pulsating final.
Meanwhile, the men’s doubles title went to South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and An Jae-hyun, who showcased their prowess with a 3-1 (11-4, 11-13, 11-2, 11-3) victory over Japan’s top-seeded duo, Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima.
South Korea's success story continued in the mixed doubles category, as Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin comfortably dispatched Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-4) in a one-sided final on Sunday.
With Thakkar's historic semifinal run, Harimoto’s double delight, and Oh Jun-sung’s breakthrough moment, the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 left an indelible mark on the table tennis landscape.
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Tags: #Thakkar becomes 1st Indian to reach WTT Star Contender SF
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