Second seeded Liang Jingkun has been sent packing out of the WTT Contender Muscat in the first round. Huang Youzheng upstaged No.2 seed Liang Jingkun 12-10, 11-6, 11-9 to advance to the second round of the competition..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A former WTT Champions event winner and the current World No.7, there were big expectations resting on Jingkun\u2019s shoulders heading into the week, with a first title win since May 2024 at the forefront of his ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, while he denied two game point opportunities early on against up-and-comer Youzheng, those saves wouldn\u2019t lead to success. The clear underdog in the match-up, Youzheng played with a real sense of freedom against a player with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and just shy of the 22-minute mark, a stunning 3-0 win was his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere in the men\u2019s singles draw, Patrick Franziska put a rocky start behind him to steady the ship, overturning a two-game deficit to deny Yiu Kwan To\u2019s bid for an upset 10-12, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Franziska\u2019s German compatriot Ricardo Walther was less fortunate. Despite picking up two of the opening three games against qualifier Navid Shams, an astonishing late twist would see Walther leave the arena in frustration, as Shams saved match point deep in the fifth to steal it at the last 8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 15-13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n