Miwa Harimoto (Photo WTT)
Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Frenchman Felix Lebrun broke down barriers to be crowned the women’s and men’s singles champion respectively at the WTT Champions Chongqing.
Miwa became the youngest-ever player to win a WTT Champions crown on her third attempt, beating Kuai Man 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5 to lift her first title at this level.
The young Japanese star, one of the most exciting prospects in table tennis right now, was bursting with pride and ecstasy as she crossed the finish line against Kuai Man in a tense match that lasted exactly one hour.
These two last met at WTT Champions Incheon last year, where Miwa pulled off a ruthless 4-0 win. But Kuai Man was in fantastic form in Chongqing, pulling off a stunning upset win over two-time champion Sun Yingsha, before confirming her place in the final with another commanding display against Wang Yidi.
Team China came out in full force for this match, with the whole squad joining thousands of fans in Infinity ∞ Arena to cheer on Kuai Man, but it was Miwa who made a solid start, utilising her trademark backhand to lead 8-3. Miwa went on to take the game, but a few late points from Kuai Man acted as a warning that she could pose a threat.
“I see, so I’m the youngest champion. I’m thrilled to hear that. Someone may break the record one day, but until then, I’ll be the youngest ever champion. I’m really happy to have claimed the title'” said Miwa.
That threat came in the second game, as Kuai Man recovered from going 1-5 down to lead 8-5. Kuai Man was finding luck by attacking the serve and setting up powerful forehands, and soon enough, she was level.
Fans were being treated to a tactical masterclass, as both players were mixing up their serves, trying to keep the other guessing. It was Kuai Man who found the winning formula in the third and was now in the driving seat.
The heat was on the 17-year-old Miwa now, and she was dripping with sweat at the table. It’s moments like these where champions are decided, and she called a time-out when leading 9-8. After a one-minute conversation with her coach, who is also her father, Miwa knew what to do, and the final was tied up again at 2-2.
Miwa, who had fallen short in two WTT Champions finals before today, started to control the fifth. She stopped Kuai from drawing her into rallies and kept the exchanges short, and had the 22-year-old exactly where she wanted her. For the second time, Miwa took a game 11-6 and was just one win away from wearing the crown.
After 12 points in the sixth, we were no closer to knowing who would win this one, but suddenly, both players put their foot on the gas. Miwa was moving Kuai Man across the table, at one point forcing her to return while facing away from the table. But Kuai Man was getting the rallies she craved earlier in the match, and this tie suddenly stepped up a notch. Kuai Man got two game points, took the second, and sent this one to a thrilling decider.
This match would now be about who could find new levels, and Miwa won a phenomenal point to go 8-5 up. She was forced back, lunged from side to side to return twice before she sprinted forward, closed the gap and sent one straight past Kuai Man. That epic point stunned Kuai Man, who failed to register another winner, and Miwa claimed a historic title.
“I’m pretty satisfied with my performance today. Of course, there were good parts and not-so-good ones, but, overall, I’m happy that I managed to win in the end. As for the seventh game, it’s the deciding one, so I knew I had to face it no matter what. I didn’t overthink it. I just told myself to swing the racquet and play it out. That was basically what was on my mind as I kept playing,” said Miwa.
Meanwhile, Lebrun lifted the men’s singles title, putting China’s Wen Ruibo to the sword with a stunning performance, emerging victorious 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11.
This match was the first meeting between these two, and both were in fantastic form. Lebrun, previously a winner at WTT Champions Montpellier 2024, came into Chongqing off the back of a semifinal run at Singapore Smash 2026.
Ruibo, appearing at only his second WTT Champions event, made headlines all week in Chongqing, posting outstanding victories over the likes of Truls Moregard and Tomokazu Harimoto.
One task that Lebrun would have to execute to win this one was silencing the thousands of fans in the arena who were behind home favourite Ruibo, and the French star did that instantly, asserting his dominance and leading 6-1 before taking the first game.
On the hunt for his second WTT Champions success, Lebrun was relentless. He overturned a 0-4 deficit and then kept Wen at arm’s length as he got halfway through his four-game target.
Under pressure in the third, Ruibo’s corner called a time-out as they tried to stop their star from being the first player to suffer a 4-0 defeat here in Chongqing. He returned to the table and turned up the heat, hitting some fantastic shots, including an athletic return while on the back foot and a precision counter to tie the game at 9-9. The 19-year-old got the next two points, and Ruibo had officially shown up in this final.
Lebrun was never going to give up his lead without a fight, and Ruibo wasn’t going to roll over. They started firing off, but that played right into Lebrun’s hands, and he won an out-of-this-world rally where both were shooting rockets. These two needed to calm down, and Lebrun’s coach called a time-out when his charge was 8-5 up. Whatever was said, these two didn’t slow down, and soon enough, Lebrun was 3-1 up.
Into the fifth game, the scores were shared after 14 points, but Lebrun, who before today was a five-time WTT Series title winner, got that vital two-point cushion, but it wasn’t over yet.
Ruibo saved two Championship Points and was trying desperately to steal this game, but lost his game point. That was Ruibo’s chance, and Lebrun forced him to miss the table, and just as we’ve seen so many times here in Chongqing, the Frenchman dropped to his knees in delight.
