{"id":5505,"date":"2025-11-02T07:27:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T00:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=5505"},"modified":"2025-11-02T07:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T00:27:08","slug":"red-hot-winter-blazes-into-the-semi-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/red-hot-winter-blazes-into-the-semi-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"Red hot Winter blazes into the semi-finals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sabine Winter defied all the odds from 0-3 down to stun Doo Hoi Kem in a 4-3 thriller at the WTT Champions Montpellier. It was a fiery performance from the German, who showed ice-cold determination to book her semi-final spot, winning 9-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 13-11, 11-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing some of the smoothest table tennis of her career these past few months, the Europe Smash \u2013 Sweden 2025 quarterfinalist was dreaming big on her return to WTT Champions action, gliding through the Montpellier draw without much fanfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Winter\u2019s hot streak appeared to snap in Saturday\u2019s quarterfinal, the German being left with a mountain to climb three games down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in an extraordinary twist of fate, Sud de France ARENA would witness a rare sight with a seemingly unassailable three-game lead slowly, but surely, whittled away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A match point save at 9-10 down in the fourth would raise the decibels inside the arena, and a few points later those cheers would reach deafening levels as Winter took it to a decider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all the momentum behind her, there was no stopping the German. Racing out ahead 6-3, Winter would drop the next point, but that was as far as she let it go, putting Hoi Kem on ice with a devastating final flourish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a moment of history, a German player had banked their spot in the women\u2019s singles semifinals for the first time on the WTT Champions stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019ve never played in such an atmosphere. Of course I\u2019ve played in front of big crowds before, but never in front of so many people. Here in France the spectators are ready for a party. They cheer, it\u2019s incredible to play in, a lot of fun and I\u2019m sure this helped me turn the match around. I never gave up. Of course I didn\u2019t really think I would go on to win this match, but I didn\u2019t want to lose this 0-4, I wanted to at least put up a bit of a fight. So, I just continued point by point, game by game, and in the end it worked out, which is amazing,&#8221;  said Winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sabine Winter vs Doo Hoi Kem | WS QF | #WTTMontpellier 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qRXIVoMsL5o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t the only full distance epic of the session, with Joo Cheonhui also hitting back in her quarterfinal showdown with Honoka Hashimoto 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-3, 11-9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Losing out to Hashimoto earlier this season at WTT Star Contender Chennai, Cheonhui entered Infinity \u221e Arena with fire in her eyes, and she\u2019d prove too hot to handle, fighting back from 1-2 down to stop Hashimoto in her tracks. As a result, Cheonhui also hits a landmark as the first Korean player to reach a WTT Champions women\u2019s singles semifinal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shin Yubin\u2019s brilliant run continued, following her outstanding 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 10-12, 11-9 victory over sixth seed Chen Yi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yubin became the first Korean player to reach a women\u2019s singles semifinal at WTT Grand Smash level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A match filled with intensity and brisk topspin exchanges, the two stars thrilled from the get-go, as fans witnessed a mesmerising spectacle between two of the sport&#8217;s best, squaring off the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>World No.14 Yubin got play underway, as the Korean ace stormed ahead to claim the first two games in style, Chen struggling with her rival\u2019s speed and precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Shin Yubin vs Chen Yi | WS QF | #WTTMontpellier 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eBvpBt3AOKg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A slow start saw Yubin fall a long way back in the third game, trailing by a 2-7 margin, but an impressive response saw her go on to level play at 7-7. Yubin would then hold game point at 10-8, putting her opponent under the cosh, but Chen held her nerve, claiming the game with a 10-12 scoreline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the fourth game favoured Yubin, the fifth game would swing the other way with two red-hot forehands from Chen sealing the game 10-12 for the Chinese player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yubin risked it all at 10-9 in game six, the Korean converting passive-defensive play to blistering topspin aggression away from the table, a tactic which paid huge dividends. The Korean ace took the point, game and match to secure her spot in the women\u2019s singles semifinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, third seed Wang Yidi bagged her spot in the Women\u2019s Singles semifinals, showing nerves of steel to deny No.5 seed Miwa Harimoto 11-6, 12-10, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Locking horns for the first time since WTT Finals Fukuoka 2024, Yidi, who sported a perfect 3:0 WTT win record over Harimoto, got play going on Infinity \u221e Arena, the Chinese star winning the first three games on the trot, leaving Harimoto flagging far behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that was only the start of the action, with Japanese sensation Harimoto turning the tide of fortune, mirroring Yidi by stealing the next three games in a row as she brought proceedings to a dramatic final game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Harimoto\u2019s best efforts, the day would ultimately belong to Yidi , the Chinese star returning blistering topspin exchanges with interest, as she took the final game 11-6, and with it, a ticket to the semifinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Men\u2019s Singles, Swedish sensation Truls Moregard delivered a clinical performance to dispatch WTT Star Contender London 2025 title winner Dang Qiu in six games 11-7, 11-6, 13-11, 12-14, 10-12, 11-5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the second time this year the two players had met on the WTT Stage, with Moregard having seized a straight-game victory over the German at WTT Champions Chongqing 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qiu looked down and out as he trailed by a 3-0 game margin, but a burst of brilliance saw him claim two tight games on the trot to threaten an epic comeback bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Moregard wasn&#8217;t going to allow such an event to occur, powering through to take the sixth game 11-5, booting the German from the title race, and bringing the Swede to his second WTT Champions semifinal of the season, having reached the same hurdle at WTT Champions Yokohama 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile,  the dream of lifting the iconic purple WTT Champions trophy on home soil came to an end for Simon Gauzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The French star fought valiantly to the end, and had a promising chance of taking the overall match lead. But Gauzy would ultimately be undone by Sora Matsushima, who continues to live up to his exciting prodigy tagline, winning  3-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hometown hero Alexis Lebrun has gone and done it again, thrilling an impassioned Montpellier crowd as he upset seventh seed Darko Jorgic to book his place in the semifinals, claiming a 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4 win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After his jaw-dropping comeback victory over second seed Tomokazu Harimoto the day earlier, the Frenchman sent the audience into a frenzy once again as he dispatched Slovenian star Jorgic with another breathtaking display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The win brings Lebrun one step further than last year\u2019s run in Montpellier, where the 22-year-old fell victim in the quarterfinals to brother Felix in four games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the stage set, the action began with Jorgic getting his name on the scoreboard first with an 8-11 scoreline. The second game continued to see the temperature rise as the Slovenian player saved three game points from 10-7, only to drop 12-10 in dramatic fashion as his French rival found the breakthrough he was looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Momentum now appeared to be behind Lebrun, who threw the kitchen sink at the seventh seed, the former winning the third and fourth games to now lead Jorgic 3-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>World No.10 Jorgic showed no signs of giving up, though, as he walked back to the table for the fifth game, the 27-year-old launching ballistic topspin shots at Lebrun to add an extra game to his tally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Darko Jorgic vs Alexis Lebrun | MS QF | #WTTMontpellier 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r8Yh13EnLmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But Lebrun came out flying in the sixth and final game, the World No.13 proving his prowess on the court as he blitzed ahead. Producing masterful table tennis, there was no catching Alexis Lebrun now. Cue the French celebrations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Darko is an unbelievable player so I knew he would give everything right from the first point. He played at a really good level, it was tough for me to adapt. He won the first, but after that I think I came back in a good way and made a great match,&#8221; said Lebrun<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sabine Winter defied all the odds from 0-3 down to stun Doo Hoi Kem in a 4-3 thriller<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-5505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-table-tennis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter.jpg",1920,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-768x432.jpg",640,360,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-1024x576.jpg",640,360,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-1536x864.jpg",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter.jpg",1920,1080,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/category\/newsbeat\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Newsbeat<\/a>","tag_info":"Newsbeat","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sabine-Winter.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5505"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5518,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5505\/revisions\/5518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}