World No.1 Shidong advances in Doha with dominant win

Doha, Qatar: China s Lin Shidong made a strong statement as he advanced in style at the World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, which conti...

Doha, Qatar: China’s Lin Shidong made a strong statement as he advanced in style at the World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, which continued in full swing yesterday.

The World No.1 faced little resistance in his opening match at the Lusail Sports Arena, cruising past England’s Liam Pitchford with a dominant 4-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9) win in the men’s singles draw.

A title favourite, Shidong needed just over 32 minutes to dispatch the World No.54, showcasing his class and intent as he chases his maiden singles world title.

In his Round of 64 clash, the Chinese superstar will meet Hong Kong’s Siu Hang Lam who fought back from a game down to dispatch Ankur Bhattacharjee 4-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8).

Qatar’s Sultan Khalid Al Kuwari yesterday showcased a strong fight in his Round of 128 clash before falling 1-4 to Belgium’s world No. 82 Martin Allegro (11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 1-11, 4-11) at Qatar University Hall, while wild-card Ahmed Korani was beaten 0-4 by Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Guan-Hong (7-11, 7-11, 6-11, 4-11).