WTT Sweden Grand Slam: Four Men’s Singles Quarterfinalists Emerge, Hugo’s 3-0 Dominance, Harimoto Shockingly Eliminated

On August 21st Beijing time, four matches of the WTT Sweden Grand Slam men’s singles round of 16 concluded, producing four quarterfinal spots. Slovenia’s Darko defeated Japan’s Sunosuke Togami 3-2, Germany’s Duda overcame Japan’s Yukiya Uda 3-2, Japan’s top player Harimoto Tomokazu was upset 2-3 by An Jaehyun, and Brazilian star Hugo swept Wu Junchen 3-0. Therefore, the quarterfinal line-up includes Darko, Duda, An Jaehyun, and Hugo, marking a complete elimination of the Japanese men’s singles players!

Brazilian contender Hugo, a strong rival to China’s national team, continued his impressive run. In the round of 16 against Korean player Wu Junchen, he delivered a highly dominant performance. He started with a powerful blow, winning the first game 11-4. Wu Junchen stayed resilient in the second game, keeping close, but Hugo’s superior skill secured an 11-8 win. In the third game, Hugo found his rhythm, relentlessly pressuring Wu and extending the lead to take the game 11-7, completing a commanding 3-0 sweep to reach the quarterfinals. Hugo’s momentum is unstoppable and his play was ruthless!

Harimoto Tomokazu faced An Jaehyun. Harimoto, fresh off his men’s singles title in Yokohama, was in high spirits. At the Sweden Grand Slam, the two clashed in a Korea-Japan battle. An Jaehyun took the initiative early, aggressively scoring to lead 11-8 in the first game despite Harimoto closing the gap later. In the second game, An suddenly faltered with multiple errors, losing 4-11. The third game saw An rally strongly from behind to claim it 11-7. Facing elimination in the fourth, Harimoto stunned An, building a big lead and despite An’s late 4-point streak, Harimoto edged it 11-9. In the decisive fifth game, An surged back, pulling away with aggressive attacks. Harimoto fought valiantly to save match points but ultimately fell 8-11, causing a major upset and surprising many!

With four players now advancing to the quarterfinals, Harimoto’s exit means one less formidable opponent for China’s national team. However, their biggest rival Hugo remains in contention, so the pressure to win the championship is still high. Moreover, only Lin Shidong represents China now, juggling three events. Whether he can uphold China’s honor remains to be seen—let’s wait and watch!

Written by / Sports Fiction