WTT Hong Kong Finals Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Revealed: Three Chinese Players, World Champion Upset, plus Semifinal Schedule

On December 12th Beijing time, the men’s singles round of 16 at the WTT Hong Kong Finals wrapped up. In the final four matches, Lin Shidong unleashed full power to sweep Liang Jingkun 4-0, Xiang Peng overturned Korean powerhouse An Jaehyun 4-2, Harimoto Tomokazu eliminated French veteran Simon 4-2, and new World Cup champion Hugo was shockingly defeated 2-4 by Le Lebrun. Thus, the event’s quarterfinalists are set, featuring three Chinese representatives: Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, and Xiang Peng; the other five are Lin Yun-Ju, the two Lebruns, Moregard, and Harimoto Tomokazu!

Lin Shidong vs. Liang Jingkun. This was an intense internal battle between Chinese teammates and two world champions clashing. The first game saw a fierce back-and-forth scoring battle, with Lin Shidong narrowly taking the lead 15-13. Afterwards, Lin dominated the rhythm, unleashing relentless offense to win the next two games convincingly and lead 3-0. In the fourth game, Liang fought desperately, reaching a critical point, but Lin held firm and decisively closed it out 11-9, completing a commanding 4-0 sweep to advance strongly into the quarterfinals!

Xiang Peng vs. An Jaehyun. Xiang Peng, a non-mainstay player for China, faced tough Korean opponent An Jaehyun. He started off trailing 7-11, losing the first game. However, Xiang mounted a comeback, winning three consecutive games at key points with scores of 11-9, 16-14, and 11-9, taking a 3-1 lead and match point. The fifth game was fiercely contested; An clawed back to win 13-11. In the sixth game, Xiang unleashed full power to crush his opponent 11-5, sealing a 4-2 victory and knockout!

Harimoto Tomokazu vs. Simon. The match was a rollercoaster in the first four games, with each player winning two games to tie 2-2. In the crucial fifth game, Harimoto seized the key moments to take it 11-8 and earn match point first. Riding the momentum, he extended his lead in the sixth game with an 11-7 win, clinching the match 4-2 and eliminating Simon!

Hugo vs. Le Lebrun. Hugo, the new World Cup champion, met French rising star Le Lebrun in the first round, a highlight matchup between international players with both having chances to win. Hugo started strong, taking the first game 11-5, delivering a strong blow. But Le Lebrun fought back fiercely, pulling off a huge upset by winning the second game 12-10 to even the score 1-1. Riding his momentum, Le Lebrun dominated the third game 11-6 to lead 2-1. The fourth game was tightly contested; Hugo stubbornly held on to win 11-8, tying it 2-2. However, the following games fell into Le Lebrun’s hands as he intensified his attacks, winning the fifth game 11-8 and the sixth 11-7, completing a 4-2 upset over Hugo to reach the quarterfinals!

Written by / Sports Novel