Harimoto Upset in Nagoya; Japan's Men's Singles Dream Shattered
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Japan's men's table tennis campaign at the Nagoya Asian Games collapsed in dramatic fashion on Saturday as both of their top players suffered quarterfinal exits. Fourth-ranked star Tomokazu Harimoto was stunned by Iranian underdog Alamiyan Noshad (world ranking 344) in a thrilling seven-game match lasting nearly an hour. His teammate Koki Matsushima followed with a 2-4 defeat to China's Lin Shidong, ending Japan's dreams of claiming gold in the men's singles event on home soil.
Key Points
- Tomokazu Harimoto was eliminated in the men's singles quarterfinals after a 3-4 defeat to Alamiyan Noshad, with final game score 9-11
- Alamiyan Noshad, 34 years old and ranked 344th globally, previously upset Hong Kong's Wong Chun-ting 4-2 in the round of 16
- The match sequence was 9-11, 7-11, 11-3, 6-11, 16-14, 11-6, 9-11, with Harimoto saving match point before losing
- Koki Matsushima also fell in the quarterfinals, losing 2-4 to Lin Shidong with a final game score of 6-11
- Japan had won the men's team event on September 24 by defeating China 3-2, with both Harimoto and Matsushima contributing crucial points
- Alamiyan Noshad's career-high world ranking was 40th, demonstrating the scale of his upset victory
Why It Matters
The double quarterfinal exits represent a major setback for Japanese table tennis, especially given the momentum from their team gold just two days earlier. For Hong Kong, Alamiyan's earlier victory over Wong Chun-ting adds another layer of concern about the territory's men's singles performance at these Games .
The double quarterfinal exits represent a major setback for Japanese table tennis, especially given the momentum from their team gold just two days earlier. For Hong Kong, Alamiyan's earlier victory over Wong Chun-ting adds another layer of concern about the territory's men's singles performance at these Games .