Germany's Dang Qiu and China's Wang Chuqin provided assistance during the official draw ceremony held in Doha, yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The draw for the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals Men 2023 revealed exciting clashes ahead of the high-profile event which will kick off at the Lusail Sports Hall tomorrow. The event which boasts a total prize pool of $340,000, will see China’s World No.1, Fan Zhendong seizing the top spot in the Men’s Singles line-up.
Having claimed victory in the inaugural event in 2021, Fan is determined to reclaim the trophy. With three WTT Series titles, including the Singapore Smash, under his belt this year, Fan approaches the competition with confidence. His initial opponent as the top seed will be Slovenian Darko Jorgic, against whom Fan holds a 2:0 head-to-head record, securing the advantage as the World No.14.
The top half of the draw sets the stage for a potential semi-final clash between Fan and China’s World No. 3 veteran, Ma Long. Ma is still in pursuit of a WTT Men’s Singles title and eagerly anticipates breaking that streak in Doha. His first challenge this week comes from South Korean Jang Woojin. Although Ma has a flawless record against Jang, this encounter marks their first match in five years.
On the bottom half of the draw defending champion Wang Chuqin is poised for a maiden meeting with 2023 breakout star Felix Lebrun. Both players have recorded career milestones throughout the 2023 season, with Wang taking the World No.1 crown for the first time and Lebrun cracking the Top 10. It will be an unmissable match as the teenage debutant tries to add one last chapter to the 2023 fairytale against the defending champion.
Another highlight match set to land in front of fans around the world is a meeting between two-time WTT Finals runner-up Tomokazu Harimoto and Dimitrij Ovtcharov. Harimoto narrowly leads their head-to-head 5:4, but has all the momentum, having won their last three encounters. Both are also still on the hunt for their first men’s singles title for the season.
Meanwhile in the Men’s Doubles draw, top seeds Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin will get their title chase underway against Ho Kwan Kit and Wong Chun Ting. It will be blockbuster action from the get-go in the innuagral event, as young stars will be out in force when the Lebrun brothers take on Quek Izaac and Pang Yew En Koen, while an explosive quarter-final match-up is on the cards as Dimitirj Ovtcharov and Patrick Franziska face Lin Gaoyuan and Lin Shidong.
WTT Finals Men Doha will also offer 1500 World Ranking points up top for the men’s singles winner.
Matches get underway tomorrow at 11:00am with the round of 16 of the men’s singles.
Meanwhile, the organizers Qatar Table Tennis Association and the World Table Tennis Foundation revealed the categories for tickets for fans around the world with ticket prices starting at $15. Ticket for an entire day costs $25, while a season ticket for the three days of the professional tour finals starts at $100.
Tickets can be purchased through the World Table Tennis Foundation website: https://worldtabletennis.com/eventInfo?selectedTab=Ticketing&eventId=2866
