Alexis Kouraichiis (Photo WTT)
For the first time on the WTT Series, Alexis Kouraichiis through to the last eight of the Men’s Singles draw, banking his WTT Contender Almaty 2026 quarterfinal ticket in style with a stunning come from behind 1-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10 win over No.4 seed Kristian Karlsson.
World No.129 Kouraichi was cursing his luck early on, picking up just a solitary point in a frustrating opening game, but his calmness under pressure was nothing short of staggering.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, who won his first senior title earlier this season at WTT Feeder Asuncion 2026, produced an emphatic response, hitting Karlsson with everything he’s got to stop the Swede in his tracks.
The highly anticipated showdown between two of Kazakhstan’s finest didn’t disappoint, with Kirill Gerassimenko and Fang Bo going the full distance.
With a quarterfinal ticket on the line, both players gave it their all in pursuit of the home bragging rights. Despite showing great character to fight back from behind twice, Gerassimenko, the sport’s highest-ranked Kazakh player, ultimately fell short, with Wildcard Fang taking a 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 win.
Over in the Women’s Singles draw, top seed Hina Hayata continues to cruise through the draw at breakneck speed, putting the rest of the field on notice with another faultless display.
Navigating the opening hurdle 3-0, the Japanese superstar added another straight games victory to her run on Friday afternoon, taking down Chien Tung-Chuan 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 to build on her perfect start to the week.
Harimoto and Lebrun bank first WTT Finals tickes
After two enthralling and highly dramatic weeks in Japan and Sweden, the WTT Series Finals Race has hit a watershed moment, with the first five names locked in for the season crowning event.
Held across five season-defining days from 9 – 13 December, WTT Finals Hong Kong 2026 is the event everyone wants to be a part of, but only the very best can fulfil that ambition. There are just 16 places up for grabs in the singles disciplines, while the Mixed Doubles draw will be filled with this season’s seven best performing combinations and a Wildcard pair.
The path to the WTT Finals is a gruelling one, but once the promised land is reached, all the blood, sweat and tears are worth it. Big points were recently up for grabs at WTT Champions Yokohama 2026 and Europe Smash – Sweden 2026, and the biggest headliners from those events just keep on winning.
Leading the Men’s Singles race before a ball was even hit in Yokohama and Malmö, Felix Lebrun’s Top 8 finish in Japan was followed by a legacy defining victory at Europe Smash, as the 19-year-old French superstar became a WTT Grand Smash singles champion for the first time.
That historic win in Malmö netted Lebrun 2000 points, which, combined with the 300 points he claimed in Yokohama, has increased his season’s total from 3215 to 5515 points. Not only is that tally enough to keep Lebrun at the top of the race, but also sees him punch his ticket to Hong Kong, China in style.
He’s not the only one to bank qualification, with Sora Matsushima’s back-to-back semifinal finishes in Yokohama and Malmö elevating the Japanese ace to 4480 points. The youngest-ever WTT Grand Smash champion landed 2000 of those points at United States Smash, meaning two of this season’s WTT Grand Smash singles champions are WTT Finals bound.
The first ticket was also snapped up in the Women’s Singles, with Miwa Harimoto capitalising on an outstanding 2026 to date.
Earlier this season Harimoto finally clinched the breakthrough she was looking for at WTT Champions Chongqing 2026, and a magical week on home soil in Yokohama saw the 18-year-old become a two-time winner at that level. Following up with a semifinal run at Europe Smash, a 1900-point boost in August has propelled Harimoto to 5350 points, locking up the first Women’s Singles ticket for WTT Finals.
Meanwhile, Shin Yubin and Lim Jonghoon will be back to defend their Mixed Doubles crown in Hong Kong, China. The Korea Republic duo laid claim to their first WTT Grand Smash title at United States Smash in July, and they’ll take some stopping at the curtain call this December.
A Decisive Month Ahead
With the first names for WTT Finals locked in, there’s now one question on everybody’s lips: who will follow Felix Lebrun, Sora Matsushima, Miwa Harimoto and the pair of Shin Yubin and Lim Jonghoon?
It won’t take long to find out, with a huge month of WTT Series action on the cards. WTT Contender events in Almaty and Panagyurishte offer an excellent opportunity for players to make up valuable ground, with the first-ever WTT Star Contender Astana 2026 – President’s Cup just a few weeks away.
However, the big prize up for grabs in September comes at WTT Champions Macao 2026, where those currently in the qualifying spots for WTT Finals, and those just outside, battle it out under the purple lights on Infinity ∞ Arena from 8 – 13 September.
