Korea and Japan split doubles titles at WTT Star Contender Doha

South Korea and Japan shared the doubles hardware at the WTT Star Contender in Doha, with Jang Woo-jin and Cho Dae-seong edging a Chinese pair in a five-game classic while Sakura Yokoi and Satsuki Odo retained the women's crown in straight games. The doubles finals highlighted depth in the draw and set up high-stakes singles semifinals for fans following the event.

Jang and Cho completed a remarkable run that began in the qualifying rounds, beating Huang Youzheng and Wen Ruibo 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9 in a back-and-forth men's final. Their path from qualies to title underscores how match rhythm and endurance can pay off in doubles matchplay, and it will be a talking point for clubs and coaches tracking tactics for pairing and preparation.

On the women's side second seeds Sakura Yokoi and Satsuki Odo defended their title with a 12-10, 11-4, 11-9 win over compatriots Hitomi Sato and Saki Shibata. Retaining the trophy cements Yokoi and Odo as a top Japanese pairing in event play and gives the team momentum heading into team cycles and the mixed doubles to come.

The singles draws produced several headline results as well. Top seeds Lin Shidong and Kuai Man, both favorites on paper, were upset in the round of 16 by German veteran Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Japan's Hitomi Sato respectively. Those early exits opened the draw and gave other contenders room to press.

China's Wen Ruibo and Zhou Qihao advanced to the men's singles semifinals, each reaching the last four with 3-1 victories over teammates Xue Fei and Huang. Wen will meet Brazilian ace Hugo Calderano in one semifinal, while Zhou draws Ovtcharov in the other. The women's semis pair Odo against Zhu Yuling of Macao, China, and Sato against Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico. Those matchups promise a mix of power, control, and tactical doubles experience translating into singles intensity.

For club players and local leagues, the tournament offers practical takeaways: qualifiers can win it all if they build momentum; strong partnership continuity helps in close matches; and early upsets can reshuffle expectations in both men's and women's events. Fans should mark the singles semis and the scheduled mixed doubles final to be contested the following day for a final serving of high-level table tennis action.

What comes next is a compact finish: singles semis will determine the finalists to watch, and mixed doubles will close out the event. Expect tactical battles, shifting serving patterns, and a few more breakout performances that could influence pairings and strategies through the rest of the season.