Adrian Diaz (Photo WTT)
Things are heating up big time at Lusail Sports Arena, with WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 delivering non-stop headlines, the latest eye-catching story coming courtesy of Adriana Diaz, who dug deep to battle past No.3 seed Chen Yi 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 10-12, 11-4.
Meeting for the first time since their clash at last year’s WTT Star Contender event in Ljubljana, it was Chen Yi who held the upper hand in the Slovenian city back then. Just a few weeks later, she’d achieve a staggering breakthrough run to the final at United States Smash 2025.
The margins were tight on Saturday evening with nothing to separate the two players after four games, but the ‘Pride of Puerto Rico’ would have the last laugh.
Throwing caution to the wind, Diaz went for the jugular, clenching her fist with every point she won. Catching the net cord at 10-4, the ball trickled over to Chen Yi’s side of the table in unreturnable fashion, ending the match, and with it Chen’s title aspirations.
Chasing her first WTT Series title, Adriana Diaz moves on through to the semifinals where she’ll meet Hitomi Sato, who banked another impressive win in Doha, this time with a 11-8, 11-1, 11-4 win over Kim Nayeong.
Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who laid claim to a stunning win over top seed Lin Shidong earlier in the day, has added another prominent name to his list of victories. Overturning an early deficit, Dima outlasted WTT Champions Doha 2026 runner-up Jang Woojin, leaving no stone unturned to get the job done in five 9-11, 12-10, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.
In the opposite half of the draw, Simon Gauzy’s promising week in Doha finally came to an end, the French entertainer seeing his opening game heroics undone by No.2 seed Hugo Calderano, who won 3-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8.
Meanwhile, the first champions of the week were also crowned last night, with the fate of the women’s doubles and men’s doubles silverware decided.
Sakura Yokoi-Satsuki Odo took home the women’s doubles honours, just as they did last year in Doha, successfully defending their title against Hitomi Sato-Saki Shibata, winning 12-10, 11-4, 11-9.
Meanwhile, it was Jang Woojin-Cho Daeseong’s day in the men’s doubles final, the Korean duo completing a dream run from qualifying to title winners thanks to a last-gasp 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 victory over Wen Ruibo-Huang Youzheng.
